Help Chandra Kick Cancer’s Can to the Curb!

Help Chandra Kick Cancer’s Can to the Curb!

As many of you know, our dear Chandra was diagnosed with breast cancer in June this year.

Chandra comes from a long family line of women with breast cancer. Seven women on her father’s side have battled it, including her older sister, Lianne, whom we lost to the disease in 2009.

Although Chandra’s cancer was found fairly early, each visit with the oncologist, and each new imaging result always had slightly worse news. What started as seemingly a single tumor needing only outpatient surgery, ended up being a large cluster of small tumors — still considered early stage, but now requiring a five-hour surgery for a full mastectomy with reconstruction and five days of recovery in the hospital.

Once home, Chandra’s recovery was grueling. The early days were especially rough, with inadequate pain management leaving her to endure intense discomfort. Her reconstruction involved a complex tissue transfer from across her abdomen, making every movement challenging. Weeks of acute recovery followed, marked by physical limitations and the slow healing process. Now, eight weeks later, she’s still working through the lingering discomfort and limitations.

We had hoped surgery might be the end of her treatment, but unfortunately, the post-surgery pathology discovered cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. Because of that spread, her oncology team decided fighting her cancer needed chemotherapy as well as radiation treatments.

Chemotherapy is no joke, folks… Her first treatment was on November 1st, and it’s been a real struggle — even when compared to the surgical recovery. From nausea to fatigue, to sleepless nights where a comfortable position can’t be found, to the inescapable bone pain from an immune system-boosting injection — if there’s a side effect, she’s had it.

Once the chemo is complete, and her body has recovered “enough”, she will begin radiation treatments. After radiation is complete, Chandra will likely require additional surgery.

Finally, Chandra will be taking daily medication for the next five to ten years to further reduce the chances of her cancer recurring.

All in all, it's going to be a long process and will take a while for Chandra to fully recover and get back to her "old" self.

Besides the chemo and radiation treatments, most of Chandra’s medications and cooling cap treatments (to help prevent permanent hair loss) aren’t covered by OHIP. After one round of chemotherapy, it’s clear she’ll need extra support beyond standard care to manage pain and find comfort during her recovery.

As a self-employed Sound Designer and Re-Recording Mixer in the film and TV industry, Chandra has no disability or sick leave benefits and is the only income earner in the house. She has been unable to work since her surgery in September. As a result, her income is down and her expenses are on the rise — and she can’t keep up.

Here's how you can help: Please consider contributing to our fundraising goal of $30,000 to help Chandra on her healing journey.

Please send our Chandra a message of support and love on this page to brighten her day. Any amount that you can give to alleviate some of her expenses and worries would be appreciated so very much.

We plan to keep you updated on a regular basis but feel free to reach out to one of us if you have any questions or if you just want to talk.