Help Dorian with Her Life Saving Cancer Treatments

My name is Tate Hallberg. My dear friend Dorian Smith was diagnosed in mid-January of this year with an aggressive form of Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer, referred to as Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). Triple Negative Breast Cancer is a nearly impossible cancer to treat unless caught early. What this means is that her cancer has no hormonal markers to target or suppress to aid in its treatment. Dorian’s cancer is a staggering stage 3c. Her treatment will include a demanding combination of four (4) different types of chemotherapy agents, Immunotherapy, radiation and surgeries.

Dorian has been fighting this cancer rigorously since her diagnosis. Along with the standard of care treatment for this cancer, she is also participating in a clinical trial to help improve the outcome of her cancer treatments for herself and for others. Dorian is facing over a year of treatment!! She has already endured so many painful, debilitating and challenging side effects to the treatment. Unfortunately, after her first treatment Dorian was hospitalized for a week due to unanticipated reactions to the treatment. Adjustments to her treatment had to be made.

Ironically, Dorian has unselfishly dedicated the last 20 years of her life to the medical field, starting as a Registered Nurse, Hospice Nurse, and graduating to a Certified Oncology Nurse (OCN).

Dorian is an amazing wife to her wonderful husband, Mark and a mother to their two beautiful daughters Gabi (9) and Savannah (7). As many of you can imagine, a cancer diagnosis is not just a trial for the person afflicted, it is a burden the whole family shares and endures.

Due to her health status, cancer treatments and multitude of doctors appointments, Dorian is on leave of absence from her work. Unable to work, Dorian’s medical insurance benefits have been transferred to Cobra insurance which commonly expires after a year. This has resulted in a tremendous financial struggle for the family. To say that the family’s insurance payments are a burden is an understatement. Dorian’s Cobra payments have essentially become the family budget. Please help if you can.

My hope is to raise enough money to relieve their monetary burden and enable Dorian and her family to focus on her health, life-saving treatments, and spending quality time together with Mark and the girls on the days she feels well enough to do so.

Of course, any amount helps, but if you are unable to donate at this time, please consider sharing this fundraiser. I would appreciate it more than you will ever know!