We write to you today about our incomparable daughter and sister, Kerri Connors. You all know Kerri as a dedicated daughter, a loving wife, a phenomenal mother and an amazing friend. She is caring, smart and funny, and she is fierce when she needs to be. For the past few years, she has had to be more fierce and courageous than we hoped she would ever need to be. Since 2018, Kerri has been coping with recurrent diagnoses of Phyllodes tumors. Phyllodes is a rare cancer that behaves like a sarcoma and grows in the breast. It is less likely than breast cancer to spread to other organs, but if it does, it is more difficult to treat. Due to the rarity of this type of cancer and the particular challenges of studying rare diseases, there are no chemotherapy protocols for Phyllodes at this time.

Like many patients and families when they are diagnosed with a rare disease, we had never heard of Phyllodes. So Kerri was in the position of learning about the disease while she was coping with the diagnosis and treatment. She was diagnosed with Phyllodes tumors in 2018 and 2020. In 2023, she detected another tumor and this time, it was malignant. She had a double mastectomy, which she handled like a champ. At that time, we hoped we were leaving Phyllodes in the rearview mirror, so we were devastated when she experienced a recurrence in January and the tumor was again malignant. Kerri immediately got to work, focusing on next steps. She has just finished 5 weeks of radiation at Dana Farber and she will have another surgery in June to remove surrounding tissue, lymph nodes and muscle to prevent any further spread.

Kerri has been incredibly lucky to be treated by the sarcoma team at Dana Farber since her initial diagnosis, since Phyllodes is close to but not a sarcoma. But a search for Phyllodes specialists always led to one provider: Dr. Laura Rosenberger at Duke University School of Medicine. The team at Dana Farber communicates and collaborates with Dr. Rosenberger, on cases and research studies. When Kerri learned of her recurrence in January, we knew it was time to meet Dr. Rosenberger in-person. Kerri reached out and Dr. Rosenberger offered her an appointment the following week. She gave us a 5 pm time slot and sat with us for an hour and a half, walking us through Kerri’s scans and answering all of our questions. She was kind, patient, thorough and so attentive, exactly the type of doctor you hope to have in your corner when you need them. She also arranged to have Kerri meet with her medical and radiation oncologists, as they employ a true team approach to cases. 

Kerri is lucky enough to have access to some of the best providers in the country and comprehensive insurance coverage. She does not need assistance with out-of-pocket expenses at this time. So the most useful and productive way we think we can help is to support the Phyllodes Tumor Research Lab at Duke, run by Dr. Rosenberger (https://surgery.duke.edu/divisions/surgical-oncology/research/research-laboratories/phyllodes-tumor-research-phytr). She is the founder and Principal Investigator of an 11-site multi-center collaborative network of Comprehensive Cancer Centers that research phyllodes tumors. If anyone is going to conduct research that will lead to increased understanding and treatment options for Phyllodes, we believe it is Dr. Rosenberger and her team.  

We are asking for donations to this crucial cause. We know it is a difficult time to be asking for money, as people are coping with their own financial stressors and worries. But it is also a difficult time for so many cancer researchers across the country who are dealing with federal funding cuts and lost NIH and FDA grants. We have two anonymous donors who have offered to match the first $25,000 in donations, so every dollar you donate will turn into three dollars for The Phyllodes Tumor Research Lab. And the lab is a registered 501(c)(3), so your gift will be tax-deductible. A gift receipt will be sent to each donor who provides contact information.

Thank you so much for considering a donation. Our sister Kristen will also be organizing a meal train after Kerri's surgery in June, so she will reach out about that closer to the date. Your support means the world to our family.