Sometimes when it rains, it pours. Chris was impacted by a mass reduction at her tech company in June. As their family’s primary earner, Chris has spent the last four months working extremely hard to find a new role in a difficult job market. In late September she discovered a lump—the kind every woman dreads. Within 10 days, her worst fear was confirmed: breast cancer. On October 3, Chris was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. What started as a race to stay financially afloat has now become a fight to stay present and healthy for her husband and three children ages 13, 9, and 5. Her husband Tony has been a dedicated teacher in Springfield and Eugene public schools for 12 years, but their household relies on both incomes to support their family of five. Chris faces not only the battle for her health but also the challenge of providing for her family. Because she is not currently employed, Chris is not eligible for Paid Leave Oregon, another devastating blow. Chris is preparing for surgery and the countless medical appointments that come with this diagnosis. The job hunt continues for now, but balancing interviews and applications alongside cancer treatment will be unsustainable in the near-term. Enabling Chris to put a pause on her job search would lift a huge burden for their family. Thankfully, Chris’s prognosis is good as her cancer is both estrogen and progesterone receptor positive and HER2 negative, and doctors are hopeful it will be relatively straightforward to treat. An MRI is scheduled to confirm the stage, but her doctors are hopeful it was caught early. She will learn this week what type of surgery she will have, and what level of radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy will be needed. Your donation will go toward their out of pocket medical expenses, household bills like groceries, utilities, and things the kids need, and helping Chris keep her family afloat so she can focus her energy solely on her recovery over the next few months. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps ease the burden on Chris and her family.