We would like to help make Alyson's life a little easier, so that she can focus on fighting cancer and not on cleaning her home or shopping for groceries! So many colleagues and friends have asked how to help and so we have set up this page to offer everyone ways to do just that. In this way, Alyson can keep that indefatigable spirit of hers as strong as ever and enjoy her time with her family and the PS 130 students whom she teaches. Alyson was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2019 while still nursing her youngest child, who was not yet a year old. The team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discovered that the breast cancer had metastasized to her bones (hip, spine, sternum) and was no longer curable. Biopsy confirmed the cancer was invasive carcinoma that was estrogen and progesterone positive and HER2-. She started her first line of treatment on chemo pills, hormone suppressant and injections to support bones. Thankfully, this first line of treatment coupled with surgery to remove her ovaries etc. successfully stopped the progression of the breast cancer and reduced its growth in her body for 4 years. In the Fall of 2023 Alyson received tough news that the cancer had progression to the liver and a new spot on her breast. State of the art medicine was able to use Cryoablation to “freeze” the new spot on the breast successfully. Being stage 4 means that traditional surgery to remove cancer (like a mastectomy) is not a viably safe option for her since she needs to remain on chemo that suppresses her immune system. The new spot on the liver was trickier to diagnose, biopsy and treat. Biopsy confirmed that the cancer had mutated twice and was no longer progesterone positive. She started her second line of treatment as a Clinical trial with a new chemo pill and injections. This was much more toxic to her system and resulted in a lot of rough side effects. After 2 months on the trial, imaging confirmed that is was not successful. The spot on her liver grew and there were now 3 spots. Alyson’s medical team decided to start a third line of treatment that consisted of a new chemo pill taken 7 days on and 7 days off for recovery. Her cancer markers continued to increase and the treatment proved ineffective at stopping the progression. Alyson now has in-numerous tumors in her liver and additional lesions in her abdomen and lymph nodes. So the team at MSK had to abandon the third line of treatment. In June of 2024 Alyson began a new treatment called Enhertu. Further look into her tumor biopsies re categorized the HER2 - to HER2 low and coupled with new research made this line of treatment available to HER2 low patients. This new IV treatment caused Alyson to loose her hair and have to adjust to a whole new set of side effects. For more information see updates on the new treatment. So far the treatment has stopped progression but is unlikely to be able to shrink existing tumors or reduce their current numbers. Because there is no cure, Alyson depends on new lines of treatment to stop progression and keep the cancer from spreading to more organs. Alyson is trying to adjust to new side effects of the chemo (fatigue, hair loss, nausea/vomiting, extreme constipation, swollen gut/gall bladder/liver, neuropathy, mouth sores, loss of appetite, nail splitting/cracking, diarrhea).She will keep undergoing lab work to monitor how her body is coping with the chemo, monitor cancer antigens and heart function. PET scans every 3 months monitor progression of the cancer. On this Give-in-kind page, you can purchase gift cards from companies like Amazon and CVS for Alyson's medical supplies and Instacart for her groceries. We have also linked Alyson's Venmo account to the site so that you can give cash donations that she could use for expenses like parking and transportation to and from Memorial Sloan Kettering, medical bills or for a babysitter so her husband can accompany her to appointments. We would also love for Alyson to be able to take advantage of some holistic/complimentary medical treatments that can help to restore and nurture her body, while the chemotherapy takes care of battling the cancer. Thank you so much for any help that you may be able to provide. Alyson is an inspiration to everyone around her, let us provide the gentle support that she needs so that she can continue to thrive! With all our thanks, Victoria and Gina