Support Danielle's Brain Tumor Journey

Hello everyone :)

I created this campaign because my journey over the last few years has been short of easy. I know this to be true for many people due to the pandemic. In July 2020, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The morning I found out I was working with Black students, and processing the murder of George Floyd, then I had a doctor's appointment. A nurse called me and told me that my meeting with the neurologist was being canceled and that I would now meet with a neurosurgeon and neuro-oncologist. My heart began to pound; I knew it wasn’t good news. Thankfully, the doctors have diagnosed me with a likely glioma, which I think of as the "living in-between'' brain tumor. The neurosurgeon assured me that the tumor would not kill me in 6 months but wanted to do more testing due to symptoms I was experiencing. Over the years, the plan has been to wait and watch it. I have accepted that surgery may be too complex, but I have begun to have more symptoms, including migraines, seizures, tremors on the right side of my body, cognitive challenges, vision loss in my right eye, and more. This has led to not being able to drive for a year, and instability with work.

Though all of this has been going on, I wanted to share what I have to live for and what brings me joy. I have had my poetry published, written 40 pages of a book I plan on getting published by 2024, led workshops on self-care, restorative justice, and peace in the gang intervention space, done legislative work in Sacramento, gotten a doggie named Huey, written a business plan, hosted game nights with friends, lost and found my faith in myself, and God. I have taken surf lessons through an antiracist surf club called Color the Water with my baby cousins. I have also thought through ways to connect #BlackGirlsWithBrainTumors with one another, and searched and found joy at every corner, even when I felt like giving up. If you know me, you know I have fundraised for students to go to Ghana and on Civil Rights Tours, raising over $75,000 and leading fundraisers for other efforts. Now I am raising money for myself so that I can continue to live the life I know I am called to live. I am looking to pay for a second opinion from one of the top Neurology/Neurosurgery hospitals in the country. You can read more about the pricing and process here: https://www.ucsfhealth.org/second-opinion. I am also looking to pay for equipment for a cognitive remediation program I have started, pay off the medical bills I have acquired from ambulance rides, ER visits, MRIs, Pet Scans, and COBRA payments (IYKYK). I made $5000 my goal, but the actual breakdown is listed below.

Breakdown:

Second Opinion: $1400

Medical Bills: $22415

Equipment: $3800

Total: $27615

After spending time taking care of myself, I plan on getting my book published, sharing my poetry with the public again, and sharing all my Black Girl Magic around the world, while continuing to organize with my community and help us all become free.

Thank you for reading this, and I would be highly grateful if you could donate and/or share it with those in your community to help me reach my goal. I would also love prayers, well wishes, and any resources you know about. Thank you again.

With so much love and solidarity,

Danielle Shaleece