Business as usual with cancer on the side
Donation protected
On January 10, 2021, the world gained a very powerful angel. Dr. Aleksandra Veselovsky (nee Mironchuk) was a dedicated and loving mother, an adoring wife, vibrant college professor, mentor, daughter, granddaughter, cousin, niece, and friend. She positively impacted those who crossed her path and she truly shined brightly on all of those around her. Unfortunately, her life was shortened at the early age of 39 by a rare and incurable cancer, Leiomyosarcoma. Aleks left behind her 5-year-old daughter Alice, her devoted husband Slava, her loving parents, and her fierce and loyal friends.
We are committed to supporting Slava and Alice through this time and beyond. We hope you can help.
Aleks faced her diagnosis’ with the same vigor and resolve she used to face her life and any challenges she encountered. A week after she finished her dissertation and completed her Ph.D. in Education, she was diagnosed with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (Stage 3). Her motto at that time became “business as usual, with cancer on the side”. In July 2020, a week after getting her 3-year remission status for breast cancer, she was diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma (Stage 4).
Aleks was a fighter and a true warrior until the end. She often led board meetings, engaged with colleagues, planned lessons, and cuddled with sweet little Alice all whilst undergoing chemo treatments. As the cancer tumors multiplied and spread, Aleks never wavered in her dedication to her family, friends, students, or colleagues. Although she was in chronic and constant pain, she remained focused on making sure everyone else was doing okay. It was her deepest wish that her family and friends would not be worried about her or be burdened by her illness.
Aleks was an only child leaving behind her loving father and her adoring mother, who was also her best friend. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1991 as Jewish refugees. They worked hard to ensure Aleks would have a better life and taught her to persevere through any obstacles. She lived with them until she met and married her best friend and true love, Slava. Aleks’ family stayed by her side until the end, with her mother taking a leave from work to care for Aleks and Alice during the day and her father spending evenings and weekends caring for Alice. Over the course of her illness, her mom and Slava took shifts sitting by Aleks’ side during her multiple surgeries and hospital stays. They were an inseparable family and needless to say, this loss is indescribably devastating for the family.
In addition to her family, Aleks impacted hundreds of students during her lifetime. Prior to getting her doctorate, Aleks (Ms. Mironchuk) spent 8 years teaching at Farragut Career Academy, a high school located in Chicago’s Little Village, an immigrant neighborhood known for Mexican culture and gang violence. Having immigrated to the US as a child herself, Aleks related to their challenges and instantly engaged the students for whom English was a second language. She inspired students to see beyond their current circumstances through different activities. One such activity was being involved in a book club, where students in the bilingual program read the Holocaust graphic novel, Maus. Aleks also connected her students to post-secondary opportunities, such as the Harrison Scholars program at National Louis University. She also helped to design and lead a mentoring program for new teachers, many of whom she continued to support long after they had moved on from Farragut.
Most recently, as a dedicated college professor at National Louis, ‘Dr. V’, as her students called her, was committed to mentoring new math teachers. She did this through sharing her passions with her students, co-authoring a blog that addresses ways of building mathematical thinking, and serving as Chair of the Senate - the highest governing body at National Louis. (You can read more about her professional accomplishments, interests, and values here: https://www.nl.edu/academics/faculty/facultyprofiles/v/veselovskyaleksandrance/
Besides being a lifelong teacher, Aleks was also a lifelong learner and a voracious book reader. She took pride in sharing these passions with her students, friends, and family. She read hundreds of books and enjoyed discussing books with people in her life. With regards to educational pursuits, she wanted everyone to have equal opportunities for education, no matter their family circumstances, backgrounds, or access to resources. Aleks deeply valued and was dedicated to helping people break through their own possible limitations to educational pursuits by helping to share pertinent resources when she came across them.
Aleks practiced gratitude in her life on a daily basis – and her practice continues to inspire those of us who love her. No matter what she was going through -- even cancer and end of life -- she focused on feeling thankful for what she had. She kept a daily gratitude journal and was a part of a gratitude group for over 7 years. Aleks would regularly show gratitude towards the people she loved by surprising them with thoughtful gifts, sharing with them how she felt about them, and also by contributing to various charities and fundraising missions. Aleks had a specific focus on fundraising for Breast Cancer and Leiomyosarcoma, she raised money and stayed hopeful that one day there would be a cure for both.
We are committed to helping her family in many ways. Here are two ways you can help:
Two funds are being set up in her memory:
(1) an Education Fund for Alice
(2) a medical fund for the Veselovskys’ medical bills
All education funds will go towards supporting Alice in her lifelong journey (K-College) of learning as her mom, Aleks would have wanted. The medical fund will help Slava to cover the expenses the family incurred while Aleks battled Leiomyosarcoma.
We would be grateful if you could contribute any amount; no amount is too small to ensure that Alice would be able to live her life achieving all the dreams Aleks had for her.
We know that during a pandemic, many of us have diminished financial resources. Please leave the word “reminder” in the comments if you’d like to be added to a list of those of us who would like to contribute in her memory in later years or on an annual basis.
May you rest in peace, Aleksandra Veselovsky 03/05/1981 - 01/10/2021
We are committed to supporting Slava and Alice through this time and beyond. We hope you can help.
Aleks faced her diagnosis’ with the same vigor and resolve she used to face her life and any challenges she encountered. A week after she finished her dissertation and completed her Ph.D. in Education, she was diagnosed with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (Stage 3). Her motto at that time became “business as usual, with cancer on the side”. In July 2020, a week after getting her 3-year remission status for breast cancer, she was diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma (Stage 4).
Aleks was a fighter and a true warrior until the end. She often led board meetings, engaged with colleagues, planned lessons, and cuddled with sweet little Alice all whilst undergoing chemo treatments. As the cancer tumors multiplied and spread, Aleks never wavered in her dedication to her family, friends, students, or colleagues. Although she was in chronic and constant pain, she remained focused on making sure everyone else was doing okay. It was her deepest wish that her family and friends would not be worried about her or be burdened by her illness.
Aleks was an only child leaving behind her loving father and her adoring mother, who was also her best friend. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1991 as Jewish refugees. They worked hard to ensure Aleks would have a better life and taught her to persevere through any obstacles. She lived with them until she met and married her best friend and true love, Slava. Aleks’ family stayed by her side until the end, with her mother taking a leave from work to care for Aleks and Alice during the day and her father spending evenings and weekends caring for Alice. Over the course of her illness, her mom and Slava took shifts sitting by Aleks’ side during her multiple surgeries and hospital stays. They were an inseparable family and needless to say, this loss is indescribably devastating for the family.
In addition to her family, Aleks impacted hundreds of students during her lifetime. Prior to getting her doctorate, Aleks (Ms. Mironchuk) spent 8 years teaching at Farragut Career Academy, a high school located in Chicago’s Little Village, an immigrant neighborhood known for Mexican culture and gang violence. Having immigrated to the US as a child herself, Aleks related to their challenges and instantly engaged the students for whom English was a second language. She inspired students to see beyond their current circumstances through different activities. One such activity was being involved in a book club, where students in the bilingual program read the Holocaust graphic novel, Maus. Aleks also connected her students to post-secondary opportunities, such as the Harrison Scholars program at National Louis University. She also helped to design and lead a mentoring program for new teachers, many of whom she continued to support long after they had moved on from Farragut.
Most recently, as a dedicated college professor at National Louis, ‘Dr. V’, as her students called her, was committed to mentoring new math teachers. She did this through sharing her passions with her students, co-authoring a blog that addresses ways of building mathematical thinking, and serving as Chair of the Senate - the highest governing body at National Louis. (You can read more about her professional accomplishments, interests, and values here: https://www.nl.edu/academics/faculty/facultyprofiles/v/veselovskyaleksandrance/
Besides being a lifelong teacher, Aleks was also a lifelong learner and a voracious book reader. She took pride in sharing these passions with her students, friends, and family. She read hundreds of books and enjoyed discussing books with people in her life. With regards to educational pursuits, she wanted everyone to have equal opportunities for education, no matter their family circumstances, backgrounds, or access to resources. Aleks deeply valued and was dedicated to helping people break through their own possible limitations to educational pursuits by helping to share pertinent resources when she came across them.
Aleks practiced gratitude in her life on a daily basis – and her practice continues to inspire those of us who love her. No matter what she was going through -- even cancer and end of life -- she focused on feeling thankful for what she had. She kept a daily gratitude journal and was a part of a gratitude group for over 7 years. Aleks would regularly show gratitude towards the people she loved by surprising them with thoughtful gifts, sharing with them how she felt about them, and also by contributing to various charities and fundraising missions. Aleks had a specific focus on fundraising for Breast Cancer and Leiomyosarcoma, she raised money and stayed hopeful that one day there would be a cure for both.
We are committed to helping her family in many ways. Here are two ways you can help:
Two funds are being set up in her memory:
(1) an Education Fund for Alice
(2) a medical fund for the Veselovskys’ medical bills
All education funds will go towards supporting Alice in her lifelong journey (K-College) of learning as her mom, Aleks would have wanted. The medical fund will help Slava to cover the expenses the family incurred while Aleks battled Leiomyosarcoma.
We would be grateful if you could contribute any amount; no amount is too small to ensure that Alice would be able to live her life achieving all the dreams Aleks had for her.
We know that during a pandemic, many of us have diminished financial resources. Please leave the word “reminder” in the comments if you’d like to be added to a list of those of us who would like to contribute in her memory in later years or on an annual basis.
May you rest in peace, Aleksandra Veselovsky 03/05/1981 - 01/10/2021
Co-organizers (3)
Marina Paliev
Organizer
Deerfield, IL
Slava Veselovsky
Beneficiary
JB Rose
Co-organizer
Karina Portnoy
Co-organizer