From breast cancer to leukemia. A mothers journey to survive

My name is Haley I am 33, I am married to my high school sweetheart, and together we have five beautiful children ages 15, 13, 9, 3, and 1. Every part of who I am is wrapped in being their mom. Their laughter, their hugs, their little voices calling out “Mom” in the chaos of our home, that’s my world. I never thought I’d be the one writing a story like this. I never thought I’d be facing not one, but two life-threatening illnesses back-to-back, fighting for my life while trying to hold my family together.

In October 2023 just 6 weeks after our sweet paisley was born, I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. It came out of nowhere. I was healthy, busy raising my babies, and then suddenly everything stopped. I’ll never forget sitting in the doctor’s office, hearing those words. My chest tightened, my hands went cold. My thoughts weren’t on me they were on my children. How would they handle this? How could I keep things normal for them when nothing felt normal anymore?

Treatment started immediately. Chemotherapy, appointments, surgeries, radiation, and more chemo pills. I lost my hair, I lost my strength some days. I lost parts of myself, But I didn’t lose my will to survive. I fought hard, so dang hard. I smiled when I didn’t feel like it. I made lunches, helped with homework, wiped tears and noses, cuddled , tried to keep everything as normal as possible for them, because I’m a mom, and no diagnosis could take that from me.

Just as we were beginning to have hope again, in January 2025, I received another blow, acute myeloid leukemia.

I remember thinking how am I going to survive another cancer? How do I tell my babies that mommy is sick… again.. The fear was suffocating.

To be honest, I broke down. The pain of hearing “you have cancer” a second time was indescribable. It wasn’t just physical it was emotional, spiritual. It felt like my body was betraying me. But I wiped my tears, held my babies close, and promised them and myself: I will not give up.

I’m now preparing for a stem cell transplant in just a few weeks. It’s my only path forward, my only shot at a cure, there is so many unknowns and so many risks, and to be honest it’s terrifying. I will be 2 hours away, until September isolated, away from my kids, and even when I come home, I’ll be extremely vulnerable. I won’t be able to hug, and love on my babies everyday, or attend school events, I won’t be there for their first day of school. My role as a mom will be paused in ways that break my heart, but I’m doing this so I can return to them, stronger, healed, whole. I’ve cried, I’ve screamed, I’ve bargained, but I have never stopped. I am a mother, and my kids are watching.

My husband, the only one that is working will be by my side as my full-time caregiver, which means he will not have much of a paycheck for months. My amazing mother is once again putting her life on hold to raise my kids while I try to save my life. I am incredibly grateful, but the truth is, we are overwhelmed. We are going to have an HUGE hit on our income, and the bills don’t stop coming. Right now, we are trying to cover:

• Groceries, diapers, and basic needs for five growing children

• Medical bills that insurance doesn’t cover, and treatment costs

• utilities

I never imagined I’d be in the position of asking for help like this. I’ve always been the one people turn to. But today, I am putting my pride to the side, and asking for support, so I can focus on healing, and so my children can feel safe, secure, and loved during this storm.

This GoFundMe is not just for me it’s for my family. It’s to help hold our world together while I’m away from them. It’s to make sure my kids have what they need while their mom is fighting to stay alive.

If you can give, thank you. If you can’t, please share our story, and if all you can offer is prayers please know that they are so appreciated. Every act of kindness brings hope into our lives. Your support will help keep us afloat, help me heal, and most importantly, help me get back to being a mother, which is all I’ve ever wanted to be.

One minute. One hour. One day at a time.

That’s how I’m surviving this. That’s how I’m fighting. And with your help, that’s how I’ll get back to the life I love, with the people I love most.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.