Help Brenda Mulkey fight breast cancer!

Please help support our beloved Kyrene music teacher, Brenda Mulkey, as she battles a rare type of breast cancer.

If you know Ms. Mulkey, you know she is pure joy and love. She has brought so much positivity, learning, and love for music to thousands of Kyrene students and our community for decades.

As a former Kyrene Governing Board President and Brenda’s good friend, I have witnessed her incredible dedication, joyful personality, and love of life truly make a positive difference wherever she goes.

This is now our opportunity to give back to help Ms. Mulkey when she needs us most!

In these first couple of weeks since her diagnosis, there have already been thousands of dollars mounting in out-of-pocket costs for medical tests, scans, doctor and specialist appointments, travel, and other medically necessary accommodations.

After initial scans, tests, and appointments with doctors at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert, Brenda had the blessed opportunity (through a family connection) to get a consultation with the top Medical Oncologist in the world for her specific type of breast cancer (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma) at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

In that consultation we learned of the many advantages of having the most experienced medical professionals specializing in her type of cancer managing her care and treatment. These specialists have access to the most current and advanced equipment and diagnostic tests, including some not even available in Arizona. It is clear that these advantages in Houston will give Brenda the best chance to fight this cancer and win this battle.

Honestly, there is a long, challenging road ahead that will include flights back and forth to Texas, out-of-town accommodations and travel expenses, surgery, post-op recovery, and treatments. Brenda will be scheduled soon for a double mastectomy, followed by many weeks of recovery from surgery, then radiation, and possibly chemotherapy. This journey will last for months, and will also impact her income.

If our community can step up for Ms. Mulkey then we can help ease the financial pressures and burden this medical fight requires so that she can focus her positive energy on her healing and recovery, and then get back to teaching music to the students she loves!

Whether you can donate a little or a lot, anything is greatly appreciated. All donations will go directly to Brenda.

Donations of Southwest Airlines points, Marriott Bonvoy points, or Southwest Airlines gift cards would also be helpful. Please contact Michelle (organizer) for how to donate travel points or travel gift cards.

I will keep this page updated as Brenda tackles this journey. Please share the link to this GoFundMe page on your social media, and to friends, family, colleagues, and the Kyrene community to help spread the word and increase the support for our beloved friend and teacher. Thank you!

And last but not least, please don’t ignore getting your annual mammogram.