Inspirational Stories

On February 3, 2020, my life changed forever. My husband and I welcomed our first child, a baby girl named Quinn. But, three weeks after she was born, I started to not feel the best.

On Friday, March 13, 2020, the day of the COVID-19 shutdown, my life changed forever again. After two weeks of having fevers and night sweats and being tested for everything but cancer, I went in for scans. Two hours after I had my scans, I got the call that nobody wanted to hear. I had cancer.

Because I was so sick, I was put in the hospital that very day. I had to say goodbye to my five-week-old and be admitted to the hospital. I wasn’t sure how long my stay was going to be, but my heart ached to have to leave Quinn as a new mom.

Because of the extent of my diagnosis, I had to have multiple biopsies, surgery, blood transfusions, and my first chemo treatment during my two-week stay at the hospital. My family was also limited to the days they could come due to COVID-19, and Quinn was not allowed to visit at all. Those two weeks were the toughest two weeks of my life, but coming home to Quinn made it beyond worth the fight.

After six rounds of chemo and 18 radiation treatments, I went into remission on September 17, 2020. A month after the end of my treatment, I spent my time walking to help others going through similar situations as me with the Team In Training (TNT) Resilience Challenge raising over $2,000.

Fast forward to March 2022. Against all odds, our family had a rainbow after the storm with the birth of my second daughter on the same date that I started to have symptoms of my cancer just two years prior. We named her after my oncologist.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) continues to give me opportunities to stay involved in fundraising and advocating for future and current patients. I want to give moms the courage and motivation to make it through. Our kids need us, and they are worth every needle prick every chemo treatment, and every doctor appointment. I am #TNTResilient for all the moms out there. We’ve got this, and we will make it through to see our kids grow for many, many years to come!