Supporting Krista on her Breast Cancer Journey

This go-fund-me is to support Krista as she navigates her breast cancer journey while being a single mom, an art therapist and counselor and an all-around kick-ass person.

For those of you who know Krista, she is, first and foremost, HILARIOUS. She is kind, compassionate, silly, quirky, sometimes awkward, and often inappropriate; she is emotional, so loving, a fantastic listener, a dedicated mother to Azza, a devoted fur baby mama too, a wonderful sister and a talented artist. Her work in this world as an art therapist is impacting so many. She was affected personally by the intense Marshall Fire on December 30th, 2021, in Louisville, CO, her hometown. And what did she do? She held space running an art therapist group for so many others processing their trauma and grief. She sits in other pain, grief, trauma, anxiety, and depression as a living….on purpose…. because that is who she is. She is her daughter’s fiercest advocate; she always stands up for Azza and is now a single parent to this wonderful human being. For those of you who are friends with Krista on Facebook, she has shared the shifts in her family and navigating her divorce over the last two years in a vulnerable and raw way that can make anyone feel connected to their humanness. She is one of my best friends and I, like many of you, love her deeply.

When she found out about her suspicious spot, she and I spoke; we tried to joke (a coping mechanism for us both) but knew the gravity of what could come. And it did. After so many mammograms, MRIs and biopsies, it is officially official- Krista has lobular breast cancer and is facing a mastectomy, perhaps two. She won’t know if the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes or elsewhere or the stage of cancer and recommended treatment until after surgery.

The purpose of this go-fund-me is to help support Krista and Azza in this journey and to help supplement income during the time that Krista is unable to work as a therapist. It will also help support Pickle, the rambunctious still-a-puppy Golden Retriever, who NEEDS to be walked several times a day. It will support getting Azza and Krista’s meals with their specific allergies and dietary needs. It will give her a little space to breathe, even when so much else is up in the air.

If you have made it this far, thank you- I am wordy. Setting this up is something I had to beg Krista to let me do. She shared that she felt strange, awkward, and yucky about asking for this help. She gives so much to others and the world, but sometimes it is hard to receive. I told her that she is deserving and loved and that people WANT to help her but may not know how. Here is one way to do just that.

With so much love and gratitude,

Emily