Tracey's Fearless Fight

Jennifer Russ is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Tracey Samuelson.

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Hi, my name is Jennifer Russ, and I am fundraising to help my dear friend Tracey Keezer-Samuelson. Tracey is a unique, strong woman who has battled so much in her life. Several months ago, she was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) breast cancer. As you can imagine hearing this life-changing news was terrifying and overwhelming.

It was overwhelming because Tracey was already dealing with living with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). In the medical world, a combination of those three diagnoses is called the “terrible trifecta.” She also has multiple autoimmune diseases not included in the trifecta.

For the 30+ years, we have been friends, Tracey has been a fighter and, throughout her adult life, has fought valiantly to live a happy and whole life. She has always been a self-advocate and fought for herself and her needed care. In addition, Tracey has always fought for her friends and family, no matter the situation. She is the proud mother of Andrew (20), who is a great kid and supports his mom 100% in any way he can.

A few years ago, she qualified for disability income and has received monthly payments. Due to her many diagnoses, she has to attend doctor's appointments and specialized physical therapy frequently and order certain medications from a compound pharmacy to avoid allergic reactions. The disability has undoubtedly been a blessing. But even before the cancer diagnosis, money was already tight. Unfortunately, the hospitals where she receives cancer treatment denied her financial assistance because they base the income on gross pay, not what’s taken home.

Tracey fights daily to be as functionally independent as she can be, and I know she wouldn’t ask for this kind of assistance unless she genuinely needed it. Factoring in the rising cost of living and other non-negotiable expenses - her current financial situation isn’t sustainable without more help.

Money raised through this campaign will go towards:

Travel and gas costs
Insurance costs (copays, coinsurance)
Medical bills not covered by insurance
Compounded medications
Supplements with no excipients (coloring agents, preservatives, and fillers)
Life necessities to make dealing with the side effects of treatment

I know that everyone is being impacted by the current financial climate, but I implore you to consider making a gift to support my friend, Tracey in her fearless fight to defeat this cancer. I will be supporting as much as I can and I hope if you are able that you will make a gift as well.