Community Raises $60K In 4 Days For Journalist Battling Cancer

BROOKLYN, NY — When Hannah Wilentz noticed a medium-sized lump in her chest in July 2020, doctors told her not to worry.

After all, Hannah was young and healthy, and her family has no history of breast cancer.

However, on Aug. 7, 2020, Wilentz was diagnosed with stage IIB breast cancer. She had a 3 cm tumor in her right breast, and the cancer had spread to at least one lymph node.

Wilentz, 32, is a Brooklyn-based journalist and editor. Since her diagnosis, she has gone through chemo, radiation and multiple surgeries, and has suffered the side effects of her treatment, which have included heart failure, hypothyroidism, anemia, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and treatment-resistant depression.

The coronavirus pandemic has worsened Wilentz's situation, as immunocompromised people are especially vulnerable to the virus' worst effects and pandemic-related restrictions have meant that she has not been able to see her friends and family throughout much of her treatment.

Now, a group of Wilentz's friends in the news business has started a GoFundMe for her, and in only four days it raised over $60,200.

"Even with insurance, the out-of-pocket costs associated with cancer treatment, especially during the pandemic, have been astronomical," organizers wrote on the GoFundMe page for Wilentz. "Your contributions will go towards paying for unpaid medical expenses, a small (but meaningful!) percentage of living costs and transportation for the duration of her medical leave, and additional therapy and rehabilitation programs that will help Hannah rebuild her life."

Donate here.

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