Hi, I’m Stephanie. I’m 29 years old — a mom to a beautiful little one, a wife, and a proud third-grade special education teacher.

For the past year, I have been battling breast cancer.

My diagnosis came in the middle of my husband and me trying for baby number two and trying to buy our first home—two dreams that suddenly felt impossible.

By the grace of God and because of your generosity, your support has helped me pay for fertility preservation before treatment, 20 rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, and six months without an income (because unfortunately, teachers don't get paid when they're out on medical leave).

But cancer doesn't stop the bills from coming. Life in New York City is expensive, and while it's where the best doctors for my care are, it's also where my entire life is. When I learned I would need radiation and another 15 rounds of treatment, the financial burden became overwhelming, and I was forced to return to work before I was truly ready.

This disease has taken so much from me. It took my income. It took away precious time with loved ones, including the ability to fully be there when I lost a family member. It took relationships I thought would survive anything. It put my dreams of growing my family and giving my son a sibling on hold. It delayed the dream of giving my son a home of our own.

As a mom, all I can focus on now is giving him a childhood.

Someday, I will give him that home. But right now, I want him to have a childhood where there is always food on the table. One where Mommy still gets down on the floor to play with him. One where he knows he is deeply loved. One where he doesn't have to carry the weight of knowing how sick his mom is.

Your continued support helps cover:

• Fertility preservation and egg freezing costs

• Weekly chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, and related treatments

• Chemotherapy medications and other prescribed medications

• Hospital bills and ongoing medical expenses

• Unpaid leave from work while undergoing treatment

• Lost income from being unable to work summer school, which our family was counting on financially

• Childcare during appointments, treatments, and recovery days

• Transportation to treatment, including tolls, gas, parking, and travel expenses for weekly trips into NYC

• A medically necessary diet and increased grocery costs

• Food expenses while traveling to and from treatment appointments

• Lost income from my husband taking time off work to care for me and support our family

• Debt that has accumulated over the past year while navigating cancer treatment

• Household bills and everyday living expenses that don't stop when cancer enters your life

Cancer impacts every part of a family's life—physically, emotionally, and financially—in ways we never could have imagined. While we've done everything possible to keep moving forward, the reality is that the weight of treatment, recovery, and daily life continues to grow.

If you're able to help—whether through a donation, sharing this page, or simply saying a prayer—it would mean more to us than words can express. Every act of kindness helps lift a tremendous weight off our shoulders and allows me to focus on healing, being present for my family, and fighting for the future we've dreamed of.

Thank you for reading my story, supporting our family, and reminding the women in your life to check themselves. Early detection saves lives—and it might just save mine.

Most of all, thank you for helping me give my son what every child deserves: a childhood filled with love, stability, and hope, even in the middle of the hardest season of our lives.

With love,

Stephanie

Instagram @itstefunny