My name is Brian Phillips, I'm an 18 year old college student and the son of a single mother who was just diagnosed with breast cancer. My mom is the most amazing woman, who has been incredibly strong while raising me. My mother has faced immense challenges, including several years of unemployment. She's struggled financially much of her life, as she has not had anyone else to help support her and I. 

My mother is Pamela Swanson. She is 53 years old, a single mother, and someone who is known by everyone for her hard work, wonderful personality and humor. She has always put others before herself, and is the strongest woman I know. 

Several months ago we had switched to a new doctor who ran an EKG on her as part of his new patient check up. It showed abnormalities, so he scheduled for her to get a stress test. This was delayed after the initial appointment though, and she had finaly got the test in October. 

Fortunately, the stress test showed nothing wrong with her heart, however, it showed shadowing in the images they took in her left breast. She was pointed towards a radiologist, and that is when the news came.

My mother has several tumors in her breast, the largest being 4cm. She also had several small tumors in the lymph nodes.

After a biopsy and meeting with a breast surgeon, it was determined that my mother will receive surgery, but chemotherapy would be used in treatment first to hopefully shrink her tumors and stop it from spreading. She will receive chemotherapy once a week for the next few months, and around 6 months from now will be hopefully ready for surgery.

She faces a double mastectomy, and reconstructive surgery, which will require her to take medical leave from her job, in which she will not be paid.

With her facing less working time with the chemotherapy, and eventually no income whatsoever while she goes through and recovers from surgery, finances will be tight.

Any money raised will be used toward paying for things like rent, utility and insurance bills, medical bills, and day to day expenses. This will be needed within the next 6 months or so.

This is something that I know will help my mother in great ways, as she can not work and I do not have the ability to work full time without leaving school as I also have to care for her. She is incredibly stressed right now, and while cancer is a big battle this will be one part of it I know she can take some relief on if we reach our goal.

Any generosity, as big or as little, or even just taking the time to share our story as she faces the biggest fight of her life would be so incredible. I could not imagine any other way I could help her more than this. Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this, who has considered helping us, and who has kept us in your thoughts or prayers. Any little bit helps.