Help Joanne Continue to Fight Breast Cancer

My name is Joanne Clegg. I am a High School ScienceTeacher and I have been diagnosed with breast cancer. I have been a Mets fan since 1969. I live in upstate New York with my husband of 28 years. I have been a high school science teacher in the Capital Region of New York for nearly 20 years, and at night, I teach classes to prepare adult learners to complete their high school equivalency exam. Last summer, after an anticipated adjunct instructor position for the summer fell through, I struggled to financially assist my younger daughter set up her first apartment in western Virginia as she entered graduate school. Then, as the new school year began, our family faced over $4000 in unexpected dental expenses not covered by our insurance. Finally, at the New Year, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. On March 10, I am scheduled to undergo a mastectomy and begin the reconstruction process on my left breast. I will be out of work for at least six weeks, and may not be able to go back to my position as an adult educator at the number of hours I was working before. Our savings have not grown as they normally do during the school year due to the additional expenses. With our income decreasing and these expenses being added on, we are facing some serious financial challenges in the days ahead. This is adding to the stress in our home, where the anxiety created by my diagnosis is already high. I am asking for this money to carry our family through the multiple surgeries and recovery process in the months ahead. It will enable our entire family to meet our day-to-day expenses, recover financially, and finally move forward in the months ahead, especially with the summer break, when I do not receive a paycheck, looming on the horizon. I thank you in advance for any assistance you may be able to provide.