Help Val Swan Win Against Breast Cancer
Donation protected
We’re raising money to help our dear friend Val Swan, who has recently been diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.
The first things you notice when you meet Val are her fiery red hair, her million-watt smile, her bubbling over personality, and her rainbow-forward fashion sense. Her laughter and grounded openness cause all who meet this energetic woman to gravitate toward her. It’s immediately clear that this girl absolutely loves life. What is not immediately clear is how hard she has fought for her life.
Val has battled severe chronic illness since the age of 12 years old. She has spent countless hours in doctors’ offices and hospitals, missing out on the equivalent of years of her life to health struggles.
She’s had multiple major surgeries and procedures, and been on every health regimen you’ve ever heard of. Struggling through chronic illness has shaped Val into the open and positive soul she is today. She has learned to appreciate and make the most of life by feeling gratitude for each day and continually giving to others. Through it all, she’s never lost her optimism and determination. Her life’s philosophy is, “It takes both the sun and the rain to make a rainbow.”
A few years ago, Val finally received a clean bill of health and headed to sunny California, where she’s been thriving…and then 2020 happened.
In late February, Val was diagnosed with stage III “triple negative” breast cancer. A rare form of breast cancer with a worse prognosis than other breast cancers, it appeared quickly and spread lightning fast. The doctors advised that a swift and multi-pronged treatment is her best bet for survival (chemo, surgery, and radiation). Within weeks of detection, Val started an aggressive 5 month chemo regimen--twice a month for the first 2 months, and then weekly for the next 3 months. Six weeks into chemo, she's already lost her hair, along with most of her energy.
As rotten luck would have it, around the same time she started chemo, she also lost her primary work projects unexpectedly, and access to her social network, as most of the US went into COVID-19 lockdown.
Now, she has mounting ongoing bills, including medical costs, health team support expenses outside her health insurance network, second opinions that are not covered under her insurance, and supplemental palliative support treatments (all without any employer coverage/benefits). She still has months of chemotherapy ahead assuming it continues to be effective, and then will take a month off for her immune system to recover before having surgery, followed by radiation and potentially more chemo.
COVID and cancer are both once in a lifetime challenges. Val has had to deal with both at the same time. Social distancing has meant that most of her friends and family haven’t been able to come out to see her. Moreover, the majority of local cancer support organizations have been closed and unable to offer much help.
That’s where you come in. We may not be able to bring Val casseroles, help with chores, or hold her hand during chemo, but we can chip in some cash to make sure she makes it through this crucial time as painlessly as possible. We talked to Val, and $15,000 is enough to cover all her expenses for the next 3 months (food, rent, health insurance, medicine and supplements) as well as (her estimated) co-pay for her impending surgery (slated for early fall).
We know money is tight for everyone right now, but if you have any you can spare for Val, it would be greatly appreciated. Every little bit helps. Despite Val’s always sunny disposition, life has handed her a lot of rain right now. It’s time to offer a little light. Together we can make a rainbow.
<3 Cat and Cori
P.S. You can follow Val as she chronicles her health journey at: https://whyilikerainbows.tumblr.com/
(Cat and Val finding a rainbow in Greensboro a month before Val's cancer diagnosis)
(Cori visits Val for her birthday in CA in December)
The first things you notice when you meet Val are her fiery red hair, her million-watt smile, her bubbling over personality, and her rainbow-forward fashion sense. Her laughter and grounded openness cause all who meet this energetic woman to gravitate toward her. It’s immediately clear that this girl absolutely loves life. What is not immediately clear is how hard she has fought for her life.
Val has battled severe chronic illness since the age of 12 years old. She has spent countless hours in doctors’ offices and hospitals, missing out on the equivalent of years of her life to health struggles.
She’s had multiple major surgeries and procedures, and been on every health regimen you’ve ever heard of. Struggling through chronic illness has shaped Val into the open and positive soul she is today. She has learned to appreciate and make the most of life by feeling gratitude for each day and continually giving to others. Through it all, she’s never lost her optimism and determination. Her life’s philosophy is, “It takes both the sun and the rain to make a rainbow.”
A few years ago, Val finally received a clean bill of health and headed to sunny California, where she’s been thriving…and then 2020 happened.
In late February, Val was diagnosed with stage III “triple negative” breast cancer. A rare form of breast cancer with a worse prognosis than other breast cancers, it appeared quickly and spread lightning fast. The doctors advised that a swift and multi-pronged treatment is her best bet for survival (chemo, surgery, and radiation). Within weeks of detection, Val started an aggressive 5 month chemo regimen--twice a month for the first 2 months, and then weekly for the next 3 months. Six weeks into chemo, she's already lost her hair, along with most of her energy.
As rotten luck would have it, around the same time she started chemo, she also lost her primary work projects unexpectedly, and access to her social network, as most of the US went into COVID-19 lockdown.
Now, she has mounting ongoing bills, including medical costs, health team support expenses outside her health insurance network, second opinions that are not covered under her insurance, and supplemental palliative support treatments (all without any employer coverage/benefits). She still has months of chemotherapy ahead assuming it continues to be effective, and then will take a month off for her immune system to recover before having surgery, followed by radiation and potentially more chemo.
COVID and cancer are both once in a lifetime challenges. Val has had to deal with both at the same time. Social distancing has meant that most of her friends and family haven’t been able to come out to see her. Moreover, the majority of local cancer support organizations have been closed and unable to offer much help.
That’s where you come in. We may not be able to bring Val casseroles, help with chores, or hold her hand during chemo, but we can chip in some cash to make sure she makes it through this crucial time as painlessly as possible. We talked to Val, and $15,000 is enough to cover all her expenses for the next 3 months (food, rent, health insurance, medicine and supplements) as well as (her estimated) co-pay for her impending surgery (slated for early fall).
We know money is tight for everyone right now, but if you have any you can spare for Val, it would be greatly appreciated. Every little bit helps. Despite Val’s always sunny disposition, life has handed her a lot of rain right now. It’s time to offer a little light. Together we can make a rainbow.
<3 Cat and Cori
P.S. You can follow Val as she chronicles her health journey at: https://whyilikerainbows.tumblr.com/
(Cat and Val finding a rainbow in Greensboro a month before Val's cancer diagnosis)(Cori visits Val for her birthday in CA in December)Fundraising team: It’s Gonna Work (2)
Cat Clerkin
Organizer
Charlottesville, VA
Valerie Swan
Beneficiary
Corrine Knight
Team member