Rapunzel's Cancer Fund
Donation protected
For those that haven't yet heard, Rapunzel has been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. She'd been having issues with her knee/walking for a couple months, and approx. 2 weeks ago went in to get a CT scan and an MRI, from which they discovered a tumour growing on her proximal tibia (the upper part of the shin). Since then she's had more CT scans, a PET scan and a biopsy to confirm the extent of her illness.
The one small miracle in all of this is that they caught it early and it hasn't yet spread to anywhere else in the body. So they have a positive outlook about her recovery. However, it's going to be a long journey and incredibly taxing on Cel both physically, mentally/emotionally and of course, financially.
The current treatment plan is to start chemotherapy in the coming weeks. She will undergo 3 months of chemo, then surgery to remove the bone and replace it with a metal rod, then 5 more months of chemotherapy. It's estimated Rapunzel will be off work for at least 10 months. She currently has limited mobility due to her knee and is using crutches/a wheelchair to get around.
The cost of chemo is covered by Medicare/insurance, but there are a lot of extras that won't be. At this point, she's even having to pay for any further blood tests as she's reached the limit that Medicare will cover. On top of this, there's the general costs of living without an income/while she's unable to work, petrol and parking for chemo + her many doctors visits (she's moved back to the Rooty Hill area so she's around her boyfriend/family/support network but her treatment is at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital so the kms add up), plus a wig to help with the emotional toll of losing her hair to chemo, as well as medication to cope with the nausea and pain, and physiotherapy sessions after the surgery. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but just to give you an idea what we're dealing with.
The worry of all of this has been adding extra stress that Cel doesn't need. She and all of us would be so grateful if you could give your support. Even if it's just a small donation, it would be monumentally helpful throughout this ordeal.
One last request, please feel absolutely free to comment your love and support, and if you'd like to reach out directly that's wonderful, too. But please just send your well wishes rather than asking how she is/something requiring a response. This has been such an intense whirlwind couple of weeks and it's been incredibly overwhelming for Rapunzel. She has lots of people asking for updates/wanting a dialogue and it's a lot of extra emotional labour to respond to them all/feel guilty if she doesn't reply in the most timely manner. We know you mean well and she loves you all/genuinely appreciates the support, but she just also needs to switch off sometimes and not let this illness and talking about it consume her/become her entire life. Thanks for your understanding!
The one small miracle in all of this is that they caught it early and it hasn't yet spread to anywhere else in the body. So they have a positive outlook about her recovery. However, it's going to be a long journey and incredibly taxing on Cel both physically, mentally/emotionally and of course, financially.
The current treatment plan is to start chemotherapy in the coming weeks. She will undergo 3 months of chemo, then surgery to remove the bone and replace it with a metal rod, then 5 more months of chemotherapy. It's estimated Rapunzel will be off work for at least 10 months. She currently has limited mobility due to her knee and is using crutches/a wheelchair to get around.
The cost of chemo is covered by Medicare/insurance, but there are a lot of extras that won't be. At this point, she's even having to pay for any further blood tests as she's reached the limit that Medicare will cover. On top of this, there's the general costs of living without an income/while she's unable to work, petrol and parking for chemo + her many doctors visits (she's moved back to the Rooty Hill area so she's around her boyfriend/family/support network but her treatment is at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital so the kms add up), plus a wig to help with the emotional toll of losing her hair to chemo, as well as medication to cope with the nausea and pain, and physiotherapy sessions after the surgery. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but just to give you an idea what we're dealing with.
The worry of all of this has been adding extra stress that Cel doesn't need. She and all of us would be so grateful if you could give your support. Even if it's just a small donation, it would be monumentally helpful throughout this ordeal.
One last request, please feel absolutely free to comment your love and support, and if you'd like to reach out directly that's wonderful, too. But please just send your well wishes rather than asking how she is/something requiring a response. This has been such an intense whirlwind couple of weeks and it's been incredibly overwhelming for Rapunzel. She has lots of people asking for updates/wanting a dialogue and it's a lot of extra emotional labour to respond to them all/feel guilty if she doesn't reply in the most timely manner. We know you mean well and she loves you all/genuinely appreciates the support, but she just also needs to switch off sometimes and not let this illness and talking about it consume her/become her entire life. Thanks for your understanding!
Fundraising team (2)
Rachel Calleja
Organizer
Mount Druitt, NSW
Rapunzel Espiritu
Beneficiary
Rapunzel Espiritu
Team member