Hello, I'm Andrea and I'm a biomedical researcher. Last spring I got my PhD in immunology. I studied how to get our immune systems to recognize breast cancer cells and get rid of them. I identified a portion of a protein expressed in breast cancer cells that may be used in vaccines to prevent breast cancer recurrence. You could say I'm a big advocate for breast cancer research, treatments, and prevention. This is a terrible disease that will affect 1 in 8 women in the US. Death rates for breast cancer have been decreasing, mostly due to the fact that it is detected at earlier stages now because of better screening. However, treatments for breast cancer and particularly advanced breast cancer still have a long way to come.
This year I found out my grandma has stage 3+ metastatic infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Basically she has a very aggressive form of breast cancer. This is the second time she has had breast cancer. She beat it the first time and we know she can beat it again, but she needs help with the cost of the treatments and the travel costs.
She is currently undergoing chemotherapy. She will have to endure getting radiation 5 days a week for 5 weeks. She has to go to the hospital frequently for checkups and to meet with surgeons and oncologists. Several months from now she will need a double masectomy. The cancer has also spread to her lymph nodes and lungs, meaning the treatments will need to be more intense and there may be a need for additional surgeries to get rid of the cancer that has spread.
My grandma lives on an island in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It's pretty isolated up there. She has to take a ferry and drive 200 miles anytime she goes to the doctor. Sometimes the weather is bad and she has to pay to stay overnight near the hospital. When she has radiation she will have to drive 5 hours away to a hospital in Marquette, MI. It isn't feasible for her to drive that distance everyday for the radiation, so her and my grandpa will have to find a hotel to stay in and pay for travel costs in addition to medical costs. My grandparents are retired and live on a fixed income. These expenses are going to be a big financial burden and they are not sure how they will pay for everything. The medical costs themselves are extremely expensive. For one treatment alone she needs 10 shots. Each shot costs her $1000 after insurance has paid their part. This is only one of the many treatments she is receiving.
She may also go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN to get a second opinion. She could have her treatments done there and enroll in a clinical trial. If she goes there, the medical costs would increase as well as the travel costs. However the quality of care would be top-notch and we would know everything that could possibly be done is being done!
We are asking for $25,000 to help pay for some of the medical expenses associated with the chemotherapy, radiation, and all of the surgeries. Some of the costs will also go to pay for transportation and lodging during the 5 weeks my grandparents will need to be in Marquette for the radiation treatments.
Anyone can donate! Donate as little as $1. Every little bit helps. Your reward for donating - you can feel good all day knowing that you helped out a loving, kind grandma and put a smile on her face. Even if you can't donate, how about sharing the link to this fundraiser on twitter, facebook, and other social media sites? With your help we can show Grandma Karen how much we love and support her! And we can kick breast cancer to the curb!
UPDATE 3/31/13:
Hi Everyone! Only 6 days left for the fundraiser and we are almost at $2000. Do you think we can make it? I hope so! Share the link again and spread the word. Grandma Karen needs our help.
As an extra incentive, anyone who has donated already and anyone who donates from now on will be sent some of Grandma Karen’s favorite recipes by email after the campaign ends. We all know Grandma loves to cook, she even compiled a huge cookbook for her family a few years ago. One donation means you will get access to recipes for some tasty food – Christmas cookies, the best birthday cake, salads, and dinners. All are Grandma approved!
Thank you for your donations and for your help spreading the word.