Support Kelsey's Fight Against Breast Cancer

This GoFundMe has been created for Kelsey Macdonald (known online as Charisma) to support her as she navigates her diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer. The goal is to raise $8,000 to ensure that all of her needs are taken care of as she focuses on treatment and recovery. She is currently living in a different country from her fiancé, Daniel (known as Dannty online), and could use every bit of support from friends. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this, as well as those who are able to donate. Every little bit helps!

In the summer of 2024, Kelsey Macdonald (known online as Charisma) discovered a lump in her armpit. After numerous tests, including an ultrasound, mammogram, and biopsy, she received devastating news: she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. As of early September, the cancer had spread to many of her lymph nodes. She quickly moved forward with additional testing to determine if the cancer had spread beyond that. While the cancer hadn't spread to her bones or organs, a bone scan did show degeneration in her spine. She is currently waiting for further tests to get more information.

Kelsey began chemotherapy on October 10th. The first round was difficult for her, and it caused her white blood cell count to drop, forcing her second round of chemotherapy to be postponed. Her chemotherapy is meant to be done once a week, as long as her white blood cell count remains high, so she could not move forward with the next round. The following week, she was hit with a severe fever and a full-body rash, which led to an unexpected emergency room visit. By the time Kelsey arrived at the hospital, her temperature was dangerously high—104°F—and her condition was serious. She was diagnosed with neutropenia, a condition caused by low white blood cell count, which left her vulnerable to infections. Her stay in the hospital stretched into four grueling days. She was put on strong antibiotics and steroids, but it was an exhausting and traumatic experience.

By October 23rd, Kelsey's oncologist discovered that she had an autoimmune disease, which was triggered by her chemotherapy. This immune response caused the rash, fever, and other complications mentioned previously. Because of this, she is no longer able to take a specific part of her cancer treatment (known as immunotherapy) until she can get more answers. Her doctors recommended a bone marrow biopsy, which was done on October 26th.

On October 30th, Kelsey was finally able to have her second round of chemotherapy. But when they began the treatment, she suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe. She was rushed to the emergency room and went into cardiac arrest. She lost her pulse, and medical staff had to perform CPR to revive her. She woke up in the trauma room surrounded by doctors and nurses, terrified. The cause of this was her blood pressure, which had bottomed out, likely due to dehydration and an adverse reaction to the chemotherapy drug. After being sedated for her own safety, she was supposed to be transferred to the ICU for observation. However, she was told that the ICU was full, so she ended up having to spend the night in the ER, with ICU doctors checking in on her from time to time. She was eventually released the next day.

Kelsey's doctors are still trying to figure out the exact cause of her complications related to chemotherapy. While many of her tests came back normal, she is waiting for follow-ups with both her oncologist and rheumatologist. Her treatment plan may need to change entirely. She has been instructed to seek medical help at the first sign of any symptoms and will need to continue monitoring her health closely in the coming weeks.

Kelsey has been with Daniel for five years, and she has spent the last two trying to complete her visa process so that they may be together in person. Her visa has been approved, but with this devastating diagnosis, her plans to finally be with him have been halted. We are humbly asking for any support to help cover medical expenses, treatment costs, and living expenses for Kelsey as she continues to battle cancer and navigate her way through treatment options with doctors. Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a difference and will help her focus on healing and getting back to the life she's been working so hard to build with her fiancé, Daniel.