PRAY FOR THE BEAR
My name is Kelsey. I am 31 years old and Mom to a 2-year-old baby girl, Raeya. I am a wife, a sister, and a daughter. And I have brain cancer. I was diagnosed with a brain tumor on August 16th, 2023, and underwent neurosurgery the following day to remove the tumor, which was shown to be a Stage 3 Astrocytoma with an IDH-1 mutation. I completed 33 rounds of radiation treatment back in the fall of 2023 (YAY!) and am in the middle of undergoing chemotherapy to prevent the cancer cells left after my surgery from growing. I have the Carbone Cancer Center to thank for my life.
My cancer journey has been the hardest and most intense experiences of my life. Fundraisers like the Badger Challenge provide me with hope that my cancer will one day be curable. Follow my cancer journey on TikTok!
More about the Badger Challenge
I am proudly helping accelerate cancer research and patient treatment initiatives forward at the University of Wisconsin through my involvement in Badger Challenge - an annual walking, running, and biking event which powers the brightest cancer minds, ideas and technologies at UW. We all have been affected by cancer in some way and more needs to be done to combat this terrible disease.
The Badger Challenge's mission is to give 100% of all participant-raised dollars (yes, every penny!) to the most promising UW cancer initiatives both in the laboratory and clinic setting. Since 2016, Badger Challenge has raised over $3.6 million and what’s best of all is our ability to see where the money goes as Badger Challenge presents their Scholars each year!
Badger Challenge takes place in September and 100% of all dollars-raised are presented to the newly announced Scholar Class by January of the next year. This is done quickly so the funds can make an impact in the labs and hospital helping patients and families immediately.
Help me support Badger Challenge and its UW cancer mission. All contributions are appreciated - whether it is $5 or $500, every dollar counts and you can be assured that every dollar you give goes back to the cause and helping those affected by cancer.
If you are unable to make a monetary donation at this point, please help us reach our goal by sharing this page with others on social media! Even better, send an email to friends you think might be interested in contributing or joining Badger Challenge and include a link to our page.
To learn more about Badger Challenge (and to sign up yourself!) please go to BadgerChallenge.org.
Thank you so much for your generosity! Together we can help write the story that ends cancer!
