‘I will win this for everyone'

Amanda Krysa of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, shares her fight against breast and bone cancer.

“At 30 years old, I was diagnosed in 2010 with breast cancer. In 2012, it metastasized into my bones and spine. I am still battling an overwhelming number of tumors on my spine and in my hips, legs and arms.

“I am in the middle of a five year struggle while raising two small boys and working three jobs to pay the medical bills. I travel to MD Anderson in Houston, Texas, so I am constantly trying to raise funds for my travel expenses.

“I am being as positive as I can for my boys, who are 5 and 10 years old. My husband is my rock and my best friend, and he helps me cope.”

Amanda shared more about why she has chosen to travel to MD Anderson for treatment.

“I wanted to seek holistic care, but finding holistic care that takes insurance is not very easy to come by. After getting treatment at the hospitals in KC, I realized I needed a real cancer center, and I am now getting the best care.

“Being that I was diagnosed at St. Luke's East, they automatically start scheduling their own doctors and offices within their hospital. It didn't take (long) before I wanted to change care, but even KU (Med) was not much help. And eventually, when I was re-diagnosed and re-staged, I left and went to a cancer hospital.

“If I would have went straight to M.D. Anderson, I would not have gotten to stage 4, and I would have been a survivor at this point.”

You can learn more about Amanda's journey on her website.