Let's Cure Monica's Breast Cancer
Donation protected
The sky is bluer, the trees more green, and life much more precious since my recent breast cancer diagnosis. I want to live.
If you do not know, I have an Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ER+/PR+/HER2-.
- The ping pong ball sized mass is located at 1:00 in my right breast and has spread to some nodes.
- I started to feel sick at the beginning of 2023 and looked for treatment in all the wrong places. No one could explain my extreme exhaustion, and I resigned my position as a Chief Philanthropy Officer this past July with the intention of resting and seeking new employment in late fall. The thing is the exhaustion just kept increasing. The mass finally became prominent in late November.
- Since then, my time has been spent taking tests (mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies, a breast MRI, and a PET Scan) and meeting with my breast cancer team.
- Instead of a new job this year, God has decided that I will spend the next nine months experiencing surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and breast reconstruction.
I am reaching out to you because my savings will soon be depleted, even though I did all the right things. I have health insurance, and I had several months of savings set aside for emergencies. But I did not plan for breast cancer. I did not plan on not being able to work. I have been working since I was a young girl, and I want to recover so I can work again. For years, I have been a professional fundraiser and I have raised resources for many good causes. Now, I need to raise $70,000 so I can LIVE.
I know it seems like a lot of money. But its not if you and others come together to help me.
- If 10 people make a gift of $2,000 each that's $20,000
- If another 40 people make a gift of $1,000 each - that's $40,000
- If 20 more people make a gift of $500 each, that's the final $10,000
It is humbling to ask for help, but I do need help. I pay for my own medical insurance, and the premiums, co-pays, and deductibles are staggering. There are also a lot of hidden expenses such as transportation for my chemo visits, transportation for my son when I cannot drive, home health care, and more. And of course, we need to keep a roof over our heads while I receive care.
I know there are many people who need support in the world. It is hard to say that I am now one of them. I am your friend, colleague, fellow worshiper, family member, neighbor, KKG sister, friend in the arts. I am a mother, an adopted mom who has two incredible kids. My daughter, Camila, turns 26 in February, and has special needs. My son, Hayden, who resides with me full-time, is just 15. They still need me. I know I need them. They both already lost so much (birth parents and adopted father). And I want to live for me. I have unfinished business.
So, I'm asking you to help me supplement my resources to fund my life and medical expenses until treatment is complete.
Please help me cure my breast cancer by giving generously today.
I am grateful to you.
Love,
Monica Lee "ML" Copeland
ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
Who might reach out to you? If you received a call, email, or social post from Lee Frantz (sister), Mary Copeland Sherrill (mom), William Langford (1st cousin), Von Aundre Hester (Northwestern University friend), Pamela Morgan (Agape community friend and licensed practitioner) or Charles Ekahumbi Elick (Slam Poetry community friend), please respond. These are dear friends and family who are generously helping me with this endeavor so I can focus on my health.
When do I start treatment? Right now, I have more tests: full body imaging to see if cancer has spread to other areas of the body; biopsy samples are being tested to make sure that they are receptive to the proposed chemotherapy; genetic testing is informing the severity of the surgery (lumpectomy or double mastectomy); a transthoracic echocardiogram to ensure that my heart can withstand the treatments, and more.
Where am I receiving treatment? I am receiving treatment through the Cedars Sinai network, which includes Huntington Hospital. This means my surgeries and chemotherapy will be between Beverly Hills and Pasadena, and radiation will be near my home in Santa Clarita Valley.
Who is on my breast cancer team? The members of my breast cancer team include: Dr. Amy Polverini, Surgical Oncologist; Dr. Mary El-Masry, Medical Oncologist; Dr. James Spackman Anderson, Cosmetic Oncologist; and, Dr. Julie Kau Jang, Radiation Oncologist. All of whom are associated with Cedars Sinai.
Is it possible for me to work during this journey? My normal workload is highly stressful. It requires attending events and responding to competing deadlines. After speaking to my doctors and with women who have undergone breast cancer care, it appears that full time employment of this type is unrealistic during treatments. Within a week or so, I will begin a very aggressive treatment plan. My primary focus during this period will be curing the cancer, reducing stress, and caring for my children.
Is my cancer curable? Yes, THANK GOD, it is. Right now, my prognosis looks postive depending on the results from the other tests. I have the most common form of breast cancer and at my current stage and grade, the odds are very good (83% of patients survive over 5+ years.) I'm knowing that I'll live to be 100, God willing.
What stage and grade is my cancer? Right now, the stage and grade of my carcinoma is not 100% definitive. It may change depending on the results of the full body imaging which will show how many nodes are affected and if cancer has spread to other areas of my body. With that caveat, the cancer is currently stage 2, grade 2 (maybe 3).
Can you reach out to me to see how I am doing? You can certainly call, text, and email, but please know that I it may take a while for me to respond and that I am fielding a lot of inquiries and appointments. I will post regular updates on this site. However, I need to reserve my energy for treatment and caring for my son.
In addition to funding, is there anything else I need?
- Yes! If you pray, pray that my cancer goes into complete remission forever. Pray that I receive excellent treatment from my specialists and that all surgeries and treatment occurs with the ease and Grace of God. Pray that financial prosperity is mine now and that all support needs are met.
- On a practical level, I will need people to drive me to and from chemo, help get my son to and from school when I'm unable to do so, and do simple things with me that are not cancer related. If you are vaccinated and healthy, come visit, share a meal, or take a walk with me. If you are not, let's catch up over the phone or Zoom.
Organizer
Monica Lee Copeland
Organizer
Santa Clarita, CA