Help April Get Back on Her Feet

We designed this fundraiser to help April Heaslip get back on her feet after HPV-related throat cancer treatment. Many of you know she was shocked to receive this diagnosis this summer. April quickly began a very aggressive treatment regime.

Having just completed nearly 8 weeks of twice daily radiation treatments (6 hours apart) and a course of weekly chemotherapy, April is currently recovering from the treatment itself. She’s experienced the loss of her voice, has extreme difficulty swallowing, eating, and drinking, and is undergoing frequent IV rehydration treatments. Post radiation, her throat feels like cut glass and her pain levels have increased significantly. Recovery of throat tissues/membranes following radiation can take many weeks. April will be re-tested in the late fall to ensure that the cancer is gone.

These past few months have been excessively stressful and exhausting, especially being on her own. Taking care of herself while in tremendous pain and unable to tolerate food and drink—all of this has been especially challenging. She has continued working part time throughout the ordeal, after being denied disability insurance. This campaign is designed to support her loss of income, basic needs, and continued adjunct holistic therapies and support she has been receiving, which have not been covered by insurance. Being sick can be very expensive.

We are reaching out to you, her beloved community, for continued support to ease her healing and peace of mind—so that she can focus on true recovery.

Please consider contributing—no amount is too small or too large! We deeply appreciate your financial support, and other creative ways folks have reached out to support April! We know April’s beautiful heart and are certain she will pay your kindness forward every chance she gets, including raising awareness about the devastating and long-term dangers of HPV.