Our story…
My name is Jenn and I am a registered nurse, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and breast cancer warrior.
When I was 24 years old I was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer- de novo. I had just started my dream job as a labor and delivery nurse. My whole life I have loved helping people, and I was now being able to bring life and love into the world. Not long after starting this position, I noticed a cutie clementine sized lump in my left breast. After many doctors appointments and imaging, I was initially put off given my age and that this lump was something benign. This radiologist even told me to follow up with another mammogram in 10 years. If I had just stopped there and listened to that radiologist, I would probably be dead before my 10 year check up. Luckily I didn’t accept his diagnosis, advocated for myself and went to further doctors- who did not agree with the mammogram results. Many scans and biopsies and doctors later I was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer that metastasized to the lymph nodes, liver, and spine.
Upon this diagnosis, I knew I had to take my professional background and make lemonade out of lemons. I want to spread awareness to younger adults and help them be an advocate for their own health. If my diagnosis could help just one person then that’s all I want.
This past year has been filled with progression, difficult side effects, emotional turmoil, and too many doctors appts, emergency room visits, tests and treatments to count. I’m currently moving on to my 7th line of treatment but I live each month not knowing if a treatment will work or not.
That is why donations to MBC and research for Stage 4 is so important in finding new treatments, and hopefully a cure. I pray for a day we find a treatment that will help me and many other men and women live a long, healthy life. As of right now, statistics show that estimated expected life survival of someone with MBC is 5 years.
This diagnosis has forever changed my life but I refuse to let it TAKE my life. I am a young woman who loves reading, painting, hiking, traveling, and LIVING. I am not ready to give any of that up.
I love being an advocate for MBC and METAvivor. I am very passionate of raising awareness of this disease, researching, and hoping for a day that this disease is something you can have a long normal life with.
If you’re interested on learning more or want to follow my journey, follow me on instagram @journeyofjenn
Description
ABOUT METASTATIC BREAST CANCER
Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is stage 4 breast cancer, for which there is no cure. Globally, more than 685,000 people die each year from MBC, with more than 43,000 dying each year in the U.S. alone (115 per day). Metastatic breast cancer spreads mostly to the bones, liver, lungs, and brain, causing MBC patients to be in treatment for the rest of their lives—with only 31 percent of MBC patients in the U.S. living longer than five years. Approximately 30 percent of early-stage breast cancers recur as stage 4 MBC. While 98 percent of all breast-cancer-related deaths are from MBC, less than 5 percent of overall breast-cancer funding is currently allocated to researching metastatic breast cancer.
METAvivor is the only organization that puts 100 percent of donations toward finding a cure. This is absolutely amazing, and this year METAVivor, through donations and fundraising events such as this, has been able to award over $5.7 million in research grants. We are extremely passionate about raising money for this cause and truly thank you for helping save lives by participating in or fundraising for this event.
Team members
Click on one of our team members below to make a donation.
-
Jenn Kelly
Raised: $2,643.82
Team captain
-
Kim Revak
Raised: $318.20
-
Christopher Kelly
Raised: $214.41
-
Cari Fulcher
Raised: $106.35
-
Danielle Hughes
Raised: $84.00
-
Kaelyn Kettenring
Raised: $54.46
-
Danielle Levison
Raised: $53.60
-
Jack Brady
Raised: $53.60
-
Lyla Revak
Raised: $53.60
-
Ryan Revak
Raised: $53.60
-
Tyler Revak
Raised: $53.60
-
Jenna Bernard
Raised: $27.23
-
Afdal Tehseldar
Raised: $0.00
-
Alana Andrade
Raised: $0.00
-
Alexander Brady
Raised: $0.00
-
Bob Meyer
Raised: $0.00
-
Casson Wilson
Raised: $0.00
-
Christina Galow
Raised: $0.00
-
Elizabeth Dowbak
Raised: $0.00
-
Eloise Kelly
Raised: $0.00
-
Evelyn Brady
Raised: $0.00
-
James Varaklis
Raised: $0.00
-
Jennifer Sullivan
Raised: $0.00
-
John Levison
Raised: $0.00
-
Joseph Moschetto
Raised: $0.00
-
Judy Revak
Raised: $0.00
-
Kathy Meyer
Raised: $0.00
-
Ken McCormick
Raised: $0.00
-
Maria Sirico
Raised: $0.00
-
Marianne Dowbak
Raised: $0.00
-
Marissa Sirico
Raised: $0.00
-
May Kelly
Raised: $0.00
-
Michelle Brady
Raised: $0.00
-
Monica Brzozowski
Raised: $0.00
-
Nick Dowbak
Raised: $0.00
-
Nina Gonsor
Raised: $0.00
-
Otto Revak
Raised: $0.00
-
Paul Revak
Raised: $0.00
-
Shannon Steyer
Raised: $0.00
-
Shaylynn Botta
Raised: $0.00
-
Stephen Kostis
Raised: $0.00
-
Suzanne Kelly
Raised: $0.00
-
Taryn McCormick
Raised: $0.00
-
Theresa Gervasi
Raised: $0.00
-
TJ Kelly
Raised: $0.00
-
Zack Walz
Raised: $0.00
Recent donors
Donation date | Donor name | Donation amount |
---|---|---|
May 17 | Maria Sirico | $53.60 |
May 17 | Lisa Suydam | $264.60 |
May 16 | Stella Sanchez | $27.23 |
May 14 | Spencer S | $53.60 |
May 13 | Brittany Walker | $27.23 |
May 13 | Emily Scheuer | $27.23 |
May 13 | Anonymous | Undisclosed amount |
May 13 | The Gilmore House | $53.60 |
May 12 | Marissa S | $27.23 |
May 12 | Larry and Laurie Kirschner | $50.00 |