HELP CONTRIBUTE TO LENA'S CANCER RECOVERY FUND

My name is Josh, and I am here because the kindest, most generous person I know needs some help. Over the past year, Lena has been undergoing (and still is) treatment for an aggressive form of breast cancer. The treatments have been, of course, very hard, very time-consuming, and very expensive.

Thankfully, the treatments have been, by all accounts, very successful. We are highly grateful for the skill, knowledge, and care of those heroes at Good Sam and OHSU.

However, the treatments such as intensive chemo and daily radiation (and currently including visits to specialists at least once a week, often more), examinations, and tests, spanning back to last year and aggressive testing continuing for the foreseeable future, are a substantial cost that is continually adding up.

The requested amount will not cover all of her current and expected medical expenses, but it will help - a lot. The money will go to her current and future medical costs and any other bills she might have accumulated during the past year of treatment.

We've hesitated, for months, honestly, about making a GoFundMe because we know that things are so tough out there, but we finally realized we need to lean on our friends, family, and community just a little bit more. We know that times are tough for everyone, and if you cannot give anything, please do not feel bad about that - we understand entirely. Cancer sucks; it's terrible, even under the best possible circumstances.

The emotional and practical support we've received from our friends and family has been, quite honestly, life-saving. Cancer is also, unfortunately, extremely expensive. So I am asking for a little more help for Lena as she works to come out the other end.

Lastly, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has sent support notes, care-packages and helped with meals and transportation to treatment. Every bit has been so impossibly important.

UPDATE: Overwhelmed with gratitude

Friends, family, and generous supporters - We are absolutely overwhelmed by the love, support, and generosity we have received from all of you in just the first two days of launching Lena's GoFundMe campaign. Your kindness has left us speechless (not an easy thing to do to her) (she wrote that part, I would never), and we cannot thank you enough for the incredible outpouring of support for Lena.

In these first 48 hours, we have already reached our initial goal of $8,000. This money will go a long way toward covering the medical bills and related expenses that Lena is currently facing. For context, she will be using some of this money to complete payment for the surgery she had last May, and the out-of-pocket maximum she hit within the first week of 2023. Your donations are making an enormous difference, and the medical bills are now suddenly not so terrifying anymore. Because of the outpouring of support, and having further assessed expenses (both short-term and long-term), we have decided to increase our goal to $12,000.

This new goal will help cover more of Lena's existing and expected medical costs, such as specialist appointments, physical therapy, and scans. If all goes according to plan, active treatment will end this summer but she will continue to undergo aggressive testing for several years. She will also continue to see specialists regularly to help prevent hazardous long-term side effects of chemotherapy and surgery (such as lymphedema, osteoporosis, among other things).

I want to stress - if money is tight for you, please do not donate. She would hate that! Please do consider sharing with your networks, of course, as every bit of support helps ease the burden. Honestly, every bit of support (financial or not) has been so, so important - a meal, a note, a ride, a recommendation on what sort of candy to take during infusion days to cover the metallic taste of saline (shout out to Hi-Chew in particular) - it has all meant more than we can put into words.

Thank you once again for your love, generosity, and for being a part of Lena's support network. We could not possibly dream of a better community of family and friends. We will continue to update you on Lena's progress and share milestones in her recovery. We are optimistic that Lena will complete her cancer treatment and emerge healthy, exhibiting her characteristic strength and independence. She will be back to rap squatting in nature before we know it.