Help Katherine Fight Cancer
Donation protected
At the beginning of July of 2019, 25-year-old Katherine Berry was preparing to embark on a new adventure in life: moving to New York City where she would be a law student for the next three years. After putting off her dream for three years after graduating from the University of North Texas due to medical emergencies and financial issues, she was finally going on a grand adventure.
However, Katherine's excitement and enthusiasm for that future came screeching to a halt on July 10, 2019, when she was given the diagnosis that shook her life and ours: metastatic carcinoma of the breast.
It would be another two weeks before we were given the full diagnosis by her medical team at MD Anderson: Stage IV Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is an incredibly rare form of breast cancer, making up only 1-5% of all breast cancer diagnoses every year. In addition to being rare, IBC is a very aggressive cancer, requiring intensive treatment.
Despite these bleak facts, Katherine has chosen to focus on the positives related to her cancer. For one, she is getting treatment at MD Anderson in Houston, TX, which is not only the top cancer center in the country, but also houses one of the only IBC research and treatment centers in the world. Additionally, she has family in Houston who have welcomed her with open arms into their home to stay whenever she goes down for treatment. What's more, her friends and family have shown an outpouring of love and support to get her through these hard times.
Katherine's treatment journey was laid out as such: first, she will undergo six months of chemotherapy, receiving one infusion a week; next, a total mastectomy of the affected breast, or possibly a double mastectomy; then radiation therapy, with the specifics to be decided. Further chemotherapy or radiation may follow if need be. And then, after she remains cancer free for one full year, she will be eligible for breast reconstruction.
Due to the intensive nature of her treatment and the distance between her home and MD Anderson, Katherine is currently unable to find work, and is relying on family support and the small savings she built up for her move to NYC to cover her expenses. Unfortunately, the Berry family already faced a heartbreaking medical diagnosis this summer.
Almost exactly a month before Katherine received her own diagnosis, her father, Scott, was diagnosed with Small B-Cell Lymphoma. While we are overjoyed to report that Scott has responded spectacularly to chemotherapy, the financial strain of having two cancer patients in one family is still present.
For all of these reasons, we are humbly presenting this campaign to you and asking for donations to ease the financial burden Katherine faces. No amount is too small, and any and all support is appreciated.
The funding from your contributions will go directly towards helping cover the cost of Katherine's medical treatment. This includes the cost of insurance, medical co-pays, prescriptions, uninsured medical costs, transportation to Houston, and other needs directly related to her care.
We thank you in advance for reading Katherine's story and your generosity, whether it be through monetary contributions, sharing this campaign with your friends, or words of support. Katherine is eternally grateful to you all!
However, Katherine's excitement and enthusiasm for that future came screeching to a halt on July 10, 2019, when she was given the diagnosis that shook her life and ours: metastatic carcinoma of the breast.
It would be another two weeks before we were given the full diagnosis by her medical team at MD Anderson: Stage IV Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is an incredibly rare form of breast cancer, making up only 1-5% of all breast cancer diagnoses every year. In addition to being rare, IBC is a very aggressive cancer, requiring intensive treatment.
Despite these bleak facts, Katherine has chosen to focus on the positives related to her cancer. For one, she is getting treatment at MD Anderson in Houston, TX, which is not only the top cancer center in the country, but also houses one of the only IBC research and treatment centers in the world. Additionally, she has family in Houston who have welcomed her with open arms into their home to stay whenever she goes down for treatment. What's more, her friends and family have shown an outpouring of love and support to get her through these hard times.
Katherine's treatment journey was laid out as such: first, she will undergo six months of chemotherapy, receiving one infusion a week; next, a total mastectomy of the affected breast, or possibly a double mastectomy; then radiation therapy, with the specifics to be decided. Further chemotherapy or radiation may follow if need be. And then, after she remains cancer free for one full year, she will be eligible for breast reconstruction.
Due to the intensive nature of her treatment and the distance between her home and MD Anderson, Katherine is currently unable to find work, and is relying on family support and the small savings she built up for her move to NYC to cover her expenses. Unfortunately, the Berry family already faced a heartbreaking medical diagnosis this summer.
Almost exactly a month before Katherine received her own diagnosis, her father, Scott, was diagnosed with Small B-Cell Lymphoma. While we are overjoyed to report that Scott has responded spectacularly to chemotherapy, the financial strain of having two cancer patients in one family is still present.
For all of these reasons, we are humbly presenting this campaign to you and asking for donations to ease the financial burden Katherine faces. No amount is too small, and any and all support is appreciated.
The funding from your contributions will go directly towards helping cover the cost of Katherine's medical treatment. This includes the cost of insurance, medical co-pays, prescriptions, uninsured medical costs, transportation to Houston, and other needs directly related to her care.
We thank you in advance for reading Katherine's story and your generosity, whether it be through monetary contributions, sharing this campaign with your friends, or words of support. Katherine is eternally grateful to you all!
Organizer
Katherine Berry
Organizer
Granbury, TX