Family and Friends Fundraiser for Katie
Donation protected
Katie finally agreed to let us do this.
To be clear: Katie didn’t want us to do this. Everyone reading this message knows Katie. So you know that Katie is proud, Katie is strong, Katie is stubborn (just slightly??). Katie is loyal and Katie is independent. Katie has been through a lot in her life, and she has learned how to do it her way and to do it on her own.
Katie didn’t want us to do this. She got the news of her Breast Cancer, set her jaw, and vowed to fight. Sure it was fucking unfair. Sure it sucked. But Katie is tough and she knows that she will beat cancer.
Right after she received her diagnosis, Katie specifically told us not to do this. She would figure it out, she always has, and this time is no different. Buy me some groceries if you want to help, she said.
What Katie overlooked is that when you are loyal, proud, and strong and also have a habit of showing up for the people that you love at their time of need, she was not going to get off the hook that easily. Once Katie realized that the same people she’s supported through good times and bad were not going to stop asking how they can help, and not stop being there for her, Katie softened her stance - Katie finally agreed to let us do this.
On September 19, 2019, Katie was diagnosed with HER2 Positive Stage 2 Breast Cancer at the age of 34. Her treatment over the next 18 months will be rigorous and exhausting. Quite literally, nauseating. She has 16 chemotherapy treatments, radiation, multiple surgeries, and endless doctors’ appointments. We want Katie to focus all of her energy on getting healthy. We want to support her to make smart healthcare decisions that guarantee the best outcomes and are not driven solely by financial considerations. Finally, we want to relieve some of the stress of balancing how she is going to pay her medical bills and other expenses during this time, because while she is lucky that she has health insurance, she is also unlucky because she got cancer. The funds donated to this campaign will go towards covering the cost of her medical treatments and related expenses. Even with health insurance coverage, her out of pocket expenses will likely total ~$10,000 per year for 2019, 2020, and potentially 2021 (or $30,000 total). This is in addition to costs that insurance does not fully cover such as wigs and at home medical supplies.
We want to extend our sincere gratitude to the people receiving this and countless others who have already contributed to her fight in various ways – sending food, sending gift cards, sending money, sending dog pics, checking in, sending love. We are so thankful to Katie: for her patience with us as we process it all, her grit, her resilience, and her upside down and backwards sense of humor.
But very seriously, Katie for the past two months REALLY did not want us to do this. In light of that fact, the aim of this campaign is to be very targeted to her family and friends who want to join in and help her beat cancer. We humbly request for everyone to respect her privacy and please do not share this GoFundMe on social media or any other public website. With that said, if you are aware of someone who would like to donate who didn't receive this initially, it is ok to forward them the information.
With Love,
Meg & Greg, Nicole & Adam, TJ & Jess, Emily & Rosie
Tyler, Drew, Tim, & Charlie
To be clear: Katie didn’t want us to do this. Everyone reading this message knows Katie. So you know that Katie is proud, Katie is strong, Katie is stubborn (just slightly??). Katie is loyal and Katie is independent. Katie has been through a lot in her life, and she has learned how to do it her way and to do it on her own.
Katie didn’t want us to do this. She got the news of her Breast Cancer, set her jaw, and vowed to fight. Sure it was fucking unfair. Sure it sucked. But Katie is tough and she knows that she will beat cancer.
Right after she received her diagnosis, Katie specifically told us not to do this. She would figure it out, she always has, and this time is no different. Buy me some groceries if you want to help, she said.
What Katie overlooked is that when you are loyal, proud, and strong and also have a habit of showing up for the people that you love at their time of need, she was not going to get off the hook that easily. Once Katie realized that the same people she’s supported through good times and bad were not going to stop asking how they can help, and not stop being there for her, Katie softened her stance - Katie finally agreed to let us do this.
On September 19, 2019, Katie was diagnosed with HER2 Positive Stage 2 Breast Cancer at the age of 34. Her treatment over the next 18 months will be rigorous and exhausting. Quite literally, nauseating. She has 16 chemotherapy treatments, radiation, multiple surgeries, and endless doctors’ appointments. We want Katie to focus all of her energy on getting healthy. We want to support her to make smart healthcare decisions that guarantee the best outcomes and are not driven solely by financial considerations. Finally, we want to relieve some of the stress of balancing how she is going to pay her medical bills and other expenses during this time, because while she is lucky that she has health insurance, she is also unlucky because she got cancer. The funds donated to this campaign will go towards covering the cost of her medical treatments and related expenses. Even with health insurance coverage, her out of pocket expenses will likely total ~$10,000 per year for 2019, 2020, and potentially 2021 (or $30,000 total). This is in addition to costs that insurance does not fully cover such as wigs and at home medical supplies.
We want to extend our sincere gratitude to the people receiving this and countless others who have already contributed to her fight in various ways – sending food, sending gift cards, sending money, sending dog pics, checking in, sending love. We are so thankful to Katie: for her patience with us as we process it all, her grit, her resilience, and her upside down and backwards sense of humor.
But very seriously, Katie for the past two months REALLY did not want us to do this. In light of that fact, the aim of this campaign is to be very targeted to her family and friends who want to join in and help her beat cancer. We humbly request for everyone to respect her privacy and please do not share this GoFundMe on social media or any other public website. With that said, if you are aware of someone who would like to donate who didn't receive this initially, it is ok to forward them the information.
With Love,
Meg & Greg, Nicole & Adam, TJ & Jess, Emily & Rosie
Tyler, Drew, Tim, & Charlie
Organizer and beneficiary
Ryan Siblings
Organizer
Jersey City, NJ
Katie X
Beneficiary