Rally for Rachael: Support Her Cancer Battle

I have started this GoFundMe campaign on the behalf of my baby sister, Rachael Radu. A few weeks ago, she went to urgent care because she was having shortness of breath and really bad night sweats. They performed a chest x-ray on her at urgent care and found an abnormal mass, so they made the decision to send her to the hospital for further testing. After spending a week where they performed countless tests to figure out what was going on, the oncologist diagnosed her with Hodgkin's Lymphoma with Nodular Sclerosing subtype. Her treatment involves six months of chemotherapy with 12 rounds scheduled every two weeks. Before beginning treatment, her doctors recommended she freeze her eggs due to a 98% likelihood that chemotherapy will induce early menopause. I will be posting updates as Rachael moves through the IVF process followed by treatment, until she has defeated cancer!

The medical expenses are mounting rapidly. Rae will not be working during the six months while receiving treatments so she can focus on healing, and her husband, Roberto, is just starting training with a new job after leaving the army in June. If you see this and feel led to donate, any and all amounts will be a huge help - And will go directly to medical expenses and to help cover the loss of income while Rachael focuses on healing.

If you are not able to financially contribute, that's okay :) Most importantly... Please keep Rachael and the medical teams in charge of her care in your prayers - We are steadfast in our belief that God has her wrapped in His arms and she will be fully healed.

Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read her story, financially contributed, offered help/support, and prayed for our girl! It is time to RALLY for RACHAEL!

Update: Treatment Progress & Next Steps

Hi everyone it’s Rachael!

I wanted to share an update on my journey so far. I completed six cycles of AAVD chemotherapy from August to January and had a PET scan in mid-February to assess my progress. The results showed that the mass in my chest is now inactive for cancer, which was encouraging news. However, the scan also revealed that the cancer had spread to my neck and groin.

Following the scan, I underwent a biopsy on my neck, and they also attempted to biopsy the affected lymph node in my groin, but it was too deep to reach. My neck biopsy results came back positive for lymphoma, confirming that the cancer is still active.

As a result, I started a new chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy on March 13th. I will be undergoing two cycles of this new treatment, and if my PET scan afterward shows remission, I will move forward with a stem cell transplant.

It isn’t the news we all hoped for, but I’m staying strong and taking it one step at a time. Your support, prayers, encouragement, and generosity mean the world to me, and I truly appreciate every donation, message, and share. I’ll continue to keep you all updated as I navigate this journey.

Thank you all for standing by my side.