Cancer Changed Our Plans, But Not Our Hope

This year, my husband and I thought we would be preparing for one of the happiest chapters of our lives.

We thought we would be preparing to become parents.

We had been making healthier choices, focusing on our health, and doing everything we could to prepare for the family we dreamed of starting together.

Like so many couples, we imagined what our future would look like. The excitement of finding out we were expecting. The joy of sharing that news with our loved ones. The day we would finally hold our first child in our arms.

We never imagined that instead of preparing to welcome a new life, we would be fighting to protect mine.

At just 35 years old, I was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer.

It wasn’t something we saw coming.

What began as unexpected health problems quickly turned into hospital visits, painful recoveries, and three surgeries. It was after my third surgery that I received the news that would change our lives forever.

Cancer.

One word. Six letters. And suddenly, the future we had been so excited about felt uncertain.

The conversations between my husband and me changed almost overnight.

Instead of talking about starting our family, we were discussing cancer treatments, chemotherapy, and what the months ahead might hold.

Instead of preparing for pregnancy, I was recovering from surgery.

And instead of celebrating the beginning of a new chapter, we were trying to understand how our lives had changed so quickly.

Since my diagnosis, I’ve undergone another procedure to have my chemotherapy port placed, and I’m now preparing to begin treatment.

But even in the middle of fighting cancer, there’s another dream we’re desperately trying to hold onto.

Our dream of becoming parents.

Because chemotherapy can affect fertility, my husband and I are pursuing fertility preservation before treatment begins.

It’s difficult to put into words what it feels like to face a cancer diagnosis while also wondering whether the opportunity to become a mother could be affected.

I want to survive cancer. I want to heal. I want to grow old with my husband.

And someday, when this difficult chapter is behind us, I still hope to experience the joy of becoming a mother.

We understand there are no guarantees. We know that life doesn’t always unfold the way we plan.

But we’re holding onto the possibility that the future we dreamed of is still waiting for us.

Through everything we’ve experienced, we’ve also witnessed incredible kindness.

Complete strangers have reached out to support us. On one occasion, a woman who learned about our situation unexpectedly paid for our meal.

She didn’t know us. She didn’t owe us anything. Yet she chose to show compassion to two people walking through an incredibly difficult season.

Moments like these have reminded us that even when life feels overwhelming, there are still people willing to extend kindness simply because they care.

And sometimes, those unexpected acts of generosity are exactly what you need to keep going.

As we navigate cancer treatment, recovery, and fertility preservation, we’ve created this GoFundMe for anyone who feels moved to support us along the way.

Your kindness will help us continue navigating the medical care and challenges associated with this journey while holding onto the future we had planned together.

Whether through a contribution, sharing our story, offering a prayer, or sending words of encouragement, every gesture of support means more than we can express.

Our greatest hope is that one day, this season of uncertainty will become a chapter we look back on with gratitude, not because it was easy, but because we made it through together.

We hope that someday, instead of sitting in a doctor’s office discussing cancer, we’ll be sitting together imagining all the possibilities of the life ahead of us.

Maybe even holding the child we’ve dreamed of welcoming into our family.

For now, we’re taking things one day at a time, leaning on our faith, supporting one another, and trusting that our story is far from over.

Cancer has changed our plans. It’s interrupted our dreams and challenged us in ways we never imagined.

But it hasn’t taken away our faith. It hasn’t taken away our love. And it hasn’t taken away our hope.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for taking the time to read our story and for every act of kindness, generosity, encouragement, and prayer.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who chooses to walk alongside us during this chapter of our lives.

Our story isn’t finished. We’re still believing in the beautiful chapters yet to come.