Rachel's Surgery
Donation protected
In February 2019, our best friend Rachel Wise took a 23 and Me test. Her results revealed dismal news: she’s a carrier of the BRCA 1+ gene, meaning she has approximately 80% chance of getting breast cancer and about a 50% chance of ovarian cancer by the age of 60 years old. Rachel is no stranger to the devastation such a prognosis can cause; she lost her aunt, an otherwise healthy woman of 41, to breast cancer in 2011 and first-handedly witnessed the physical and emotional suffering she and her family endured until the very end. What’s more, Rachel is the fourth member of her family to have a genetic predisposition to breast cancer, but she refuses to live in fear of her prognosis.
Research suggests that BRCA 1+ carriers should undergo preventative surgeries at least ten years prior to the age at which other BRCA 1+ carrying family members were first diagnosed with cancer. At 25, Rachel is determined to reverse the odds stacked against her as soon as possible. She will receive a double mastectomy this December––an invasive but necessary surgery that will reduce her likelihood of breast cancer from 80% to a mere 5%. But only a portion of the $30K procedure will be covered by insurance, leaving Rachel financially responsible for the remainder, along with the costs of medication, physical therapy, hotel accommodations (her surgery is in San Francisco), and other recovery essentials. If that weren’t enough, Rachel must also undergo a second reconstructive surgery four to six months after her double mastectomy––another daunting cost atop her graduate school tuition and undergraduate student debt.
Rachel is the face of perseverance, strength, and kindness––something anyone who knows her can attest to. If you’re lucky enough to call Rachel a friend or family, we ask that you consider donating to help cover the mountain of medical costs ahead of her; no amount is too small! We know times are tough, and Rachel will be endlessly grateful for anything you have to offer, and so will we.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We love you Rachel!
Love,
Dev and Tess
Research suggests that BRCA 1+ carriers should undergo preventative surgeries at least ten years prior to the age at which other BRCA 1+ carrying family members were first diagnosed with cancer. At 25, Rachel is determined to reverse the odds stacked against her as soon as possible. She will receive a double mastectomy this December––an invasive but necessary surgery that will reduce her likelihood of breast cancer from 80% to a mere 5%. But only a portion of the $30K procedure will be covered by insurance, leaving Rachel financially responsible for the remainder, along with the costs of medication, physical therapy, hotel accommodations (her surgery is in San Francisco), and other recovery essentials. If that weren’t enough, Rachel must also undergo a second reconstructive surgery four to six months after her double mastectomy––another daunting cost atop her graduate school tuition and undergraduate student debt.
Rachel is the face of perseverance, strength, and kindness––something anyone who knows her can attest to. If you’re lucky enough to call Rachel a friend or family, we ask that you consider donating to help cover the mountain of medical costs ahead of her; no amount is too small! We know times are tough, and Rachel will be endlessly grateful for anything you have to offer, and so will we.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We love you Rachel!
Love,
Dev and Tess
Organizer and beneficiary
Devon Freeman
Organizer
Agoura Hills, CA
Rachel Wise
Beneficiary