Support Darby as she Fights Brain Cancer

In 2017, Darby was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In 2020, she underwent brain surgery to biopsy the mass and remove as much as possible. Because of the placement in the brain, it was determined that most of the tumor was unable to be removed and instead would need to be monitored and treated throughout her life. Doctors decided to start treatment in 2020 as the tumor started to grow.

Darby has been in and out of the hospital for the last few years. She had to have a second brain surgery in August 2022. She had to shave her head to try a new treatment that ultimately was unsuccessful. She has been on 3 medical leaves from work ranging from 12 to 23 weeks. And she underwent a year of chemotherapy in 2023. One month after celebrating the end of chemo, she went in for her routine MRI in November 2023 and to the surprise of her and the doctors, her tumor had grown substantially. Shortly after, Darby began experiencing symptoms making it hard communicate both written and verbal, so she is now on another long-term medical leave from work while she fights this cancer again.

Darby’s husband Alex, an acclaimed chef, has put his dreams of opening his own restaurant on hold while he supports Darby in this fight for her life. He has recently taken a role with the USPS to allow him to spend nights with his wife and provide a bit of stability.

Darby is currently undergoing new treatments, including Avastin (bevacizumab), which blocks protein and stops the cancer from growing blood vessels, so it is starved and can't grow. Unfortunately, since she has already gone through two rounds of radiation to the brain, that is not a form of treatment she can try again. As she continues treatment options, she will have monthly MRIs to track tumor growth.

When speaking with Darby about everything going on in her life, I would expect majority of her worries to be focused on her health but instead, the thing keeping her up at night is money. While long-term disability is an amazing benefit in that she can retain her health insurance, it docks her pay by 40% making her take-home pay dismal. She worries about when she’ll be able to make more money and is even considering part-time jobs to help pay bills. The last thing Darby and Alex should need to worry about is their mortgage and how to pay medical bills. They should be able to rest and focus on each other and getting Darby healthy.

As people who love and care for Darby, I know we all wish we could do something. And while she absolutely needs moral support and a community of people to surround her physically and emotionally, the easiest thing we can do right now is take away the thing keeping her up at night. Please consider donating whatever you feel comfortable with and share this with your friends and family.

Let’s remove financial stress from Darby’s life so she can put her energy towards kicking that tumor’s ass and living a long, healthy, beautiful life.