Marisa Sullivan here, aka Breast Cancer Bandit.

When I was told on my 40th birthday that I had stage 2 triple-negative breast cancer, I had to act fast to preserve my fertility ahead of sixth months of chemotherapy treatment.

I am beyond grateful for my community who helped in my time of need with these high out-of-pocket expenses, which were not covered by my insurance — and was lucky I even HAD insurance to cover a large portion of my treatment and dozens of scans to date.

Thankfully, I was able to get the remainder covered by my hospital through its financial assistance program (which most facilities have FYI!), as this was all happening at the height of the pandemic and the start of lockdown, which brought many other challenges.

Now, as a four-year survivor, I’m helping others navigate through the financial and emotional stress of a new diagnosis (we also offer peer counseling services at no cost).

Think of me as your slightly twisted, rock ‘n’ roll Fairy Godmother to hold your hand — and make you laugh — along the way.

More updates soon. Thanks for the support, my fellow outlaws!

BCB