My name is Jhaesea, and even though Brittany and I aren’t “technically” related, our family tree says otherwise if you know the backstory (it’s actually a great story). She’s been in my life for about twenty two years, and she’s someone I’ve always held close. I’ve looked up to her in more ways than she even knows, which is why seeing her face something like this has been so hard.

Brittany  is one of those rare people who can walk into a room and instantly make everyone feel at ease. She’s warm, funny, and endlessly genuine. She’s the kind of person will show up for anyone around her, which makes it even harder to see her walking through something like this.

Recently, Brittany was diagnosed with breast cancer. She’s preparing for a double mastectomy and a long stretch of treatment that will likely include radiation and possibly chemo. Doctors are estimating about six months of recovery if everything goes as well as they hope. Getting a diagnosis like this is devastating no matter when it happens, but hearing those words right as the holidays approach hits even harder. This is the time of year that is supposed to be the most magical for her family, and instead they’re bracing for one of the toughest seasons of their lives.

Brittany and her husband, Steve, are doing everything they can to keep life steady for their kids, five year old Wiley and two year old Hank. But with treatment starting, a major surgery ahead, and Steve’s work projects being unpredictable, even their insurance coverage isn’t guaranteed right now. The financial pressure hits from every angle at a time when all they should be focused on is Brittany’s health and keeping their home life afloat.

On top of caring for her family, Brittany has been running Piccolina in the Woodstock district of Portland for the past four years. She’s poured her heart into keeping the shop thriving and growing, and she’s succeeded. Stepping back from the work she does every day, even temporarily, is incredibly hard for her, but she has no choice during recovery.

The support raised here will help her family cover what piles up fast during a medical crisis: the costs of treatment, the help they’ll need with the kids while she heals, the basics of daily life, and the expense of keeping Piccolina stable until she can return. It gives them breathing room in a moment when everything else already feels uncertain.

If you feel moved to read, share, or give, thank you. It means more than you know. Every bit of support helps Brittany focus on healing and gives her family the space to get through this chapter without feeling like they’re doing it alone.