Grant Recipient: Tara
Thank you so much for your generosity, and your continued intention to support those going through what I have gone through and have yet to face.
Diagnosis: Breast cancer, Stage IIB (diagnosed 04/2014)
Treatment: Tara underwent a mastectomy in May of 2014 and reconstruction on the same day. She started chemotherapy in July of 2014, which will be followed by radiation treatment.
Grant to be used for: Food and gas
Tara’s story: Tara is a creative, spiritual, and compassionate person who believes she has a unique talent to heal others at the deepest levels. For over 20 years she expressed her creativity as a professional artist and set designer in San Diego. She sold her art in galleries and even designed sets that are still in use today.
The long-term exposure to paint chemicals took their toll, and Tara had to give up her career as a result of heavy metal poisoning. Since then, Tara has struggled with her health and spent all of her savings trying to detox and get well again.
Even as she was trying to regain her health, Tara started building a new career for herself as a spiritual counselor and healer. Oftentimes, poor health has interfered with her ability to run and grow her business. In 2013, a bacterial infection shut down her digestive tract and adrenal glands, leaving her exhausted and barely able to run her business. Just as she recovered from that, she discovered a tumor on her chest wall.
In March of 2014, she was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer. Due to the aggressive nature of the cancer, she was rushed into treatment, which included a mastectomy and reconstruction on the same day.
When Tara’s case first reached SOPC, she was preparing to start chemotherapy through Scripps Memorial Hospital. She tells us that she is very fortunate to be in a stable housing situation and have support from close friends. However, she is struggling to find the energy and focus for her business and needs financial assistance so she can buy food and the gas she needs to get to her many doctors appointments.
We were very glad to be able to provide Tara with a grant so that she wouldn’t have to worry about food or gas as she started her chemotherapy treatment. When we last checked in with Tara, she was in the midst of her chemo. She told us that though she doesn’t feel well very often, her doctors are very positive about how her treatment is progressing.
Tara is integrating alternative therapies with her treatment to try and manage her symptoms. She is incredibly appreciative of the donors who have made her grant possible.
We wish Tara the best during her treatment and recovery and hope that she can soon return to her wonderful spiritual work.