At age 24, Nancy moved to Bonita Springs in 2013 to be with her ill mother. Later that year, her mother passed away from cancer. Her father had passed away when she was a baby, so she was here in her new town alone now. She loved SW Florida so much that she decided to stay even though her mother was no longer with her.
In January 2022, now a mother of 2 children, she decided to return to school and began taking classes in Ft Myers. Ten months later, at age 34, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. She was sent to Moffit right away and received treatment plans with her local oncologists at Florida Cancer Specialists. “My physician told me to hold off on school as well as working to begin my chemotherapy, which crushed me.
I was working hard in school and had so many dreams and plans for a better life for my children. I didn’t want to stop attending school, but I knew I had to. I just didn’t understand what was happening to me. I had multiple biopsies and procedures, and my doctors discovered the cancer had spread to the bone in my lower back. I had chemotherapy, surgeries and radiation. Not having family here made it hard. I had to go to most of my appointments alone. There were many times I almost lost hope. It was sad when my hair began falling out, as well as all the other bodily changes that come with cancer”.
“My friend then told me about the Cancer Alliance Network, and I called them. Shortly thereafter, they began paying my car payment. I no longer had to struggle! I was so relieved, and it was the blessing I needed. I knew I wasn’t alone in this battle, and that made all the difference to me”.
Nancy’s latest scan in September 2023 showed no signs of cancer. Even though she continues to get injections every 28 days for the remainder of her life, along with multiple pills every day, she states, “Although I can never say that I’m cancer-free, I can begin working again and living a good life with my two girls. I look forward to someday going back to school, too. CAN was there when I needed it most. They gave me hope and support and made me realize I was never alone. That mattered. I am forever grateful for the donors who support CAN. They helped me when I had nowhere to turn and got me through my toughest year”.
