Hello, my name is Dana, and I am 27 years old. I work as a full-time EMT in NYC. I have been working and serving my community since 2018. I also served during the tough times of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which took a significant toll on my mental health.
My wife and I recently had a newborn baby who turned 5 months old today. We were happy starting a family together until our life turned upside down. My wife, who is also 27 years old, was recently diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called metaplastic squamous cell carcinoma located in the left breast. We were very shocked to receive this devastating news. My wife no longer breastfeeds, and we rely on baby formula, afraid that it may impact the baby’s health. My wife’s doctor said that it is a very rare cancer cell that is very aggressive towards the body and may possibly spread to her organs. We spent many restless days, a lot of crying, questioning why this is happening to us, and worrying together while trying to take care of our baby. I try to be there for her whenever I have a day off while making ends meet to support my family, such as paying for the bills, buying diapers, and buying baby formula for our newborn since she no longer breastfeeds. My wife just had a lumpectomy on her left breast and a couple of lymph nodes removed on June 5th. Her breast surgeon said the surgery was successful. However, the doctor recommended that she does not carry or lift the baby for 2 weeks while she recovers from the surgery. We had to rely on my wife’s parents to watch over our baby while I work my job so that she can recover. I really wish I could stay home and watch over the baby instead of relying on her parents, but my workplace wouldn’t allow me to take FMLA for my wife since I already used up all the hours for bonding with the baby. Today we went to see an oncologist for further treatments. The oncologist said that he highly recommends chemotherapy, which may lower the chances of the cancer coming back to a different organ in the next 2-3 years. He said that there is a 50% chance it may come back in the next 2-3 years, but if we start chemotherapy now, it can lower the chances to 20-30%. Of course, we both agreed to start the process soon. But since chemotherapy has many side effects on the body and may cause my wife to no longer become pregnant, the doctor recommended us to see an infertility specialist to help preserve my wife’s eggs in case we want another child in the future, and it will increase the success rate of pregnancy. We spoke with an infertility specialist, and they said that it is not covered by insurance; we have to pay out of pocket, which will cost thousands of dollars, and we also have to pay a couple of hundred dollars every month to keep the eggs frozen. My wife was very heartbroken hearing the news. I already accepted it and told her that I am fine with just one child. I am happy that we have a child together already. But her family keeps pressuring her to freeze her eggs because they think it is necessary for our baby to have a sibling. We really can’t afford to pay thousands of dollars, especially since I don’t make enough and I am the only one working. I came here to seek help, especially financially, while trying to go through these tough times and support my family. Any donations will help her with medical expenses, future treatments, and supplies for our baby.
I am really thankful if you took your time reading this. I am also thankful that we have resources to seek donations when we really need them. Thank you for your time. We will try to keep our heads up every day, and one day she will finally return to her normal life, raising our baby.
