Help Amanda Proulx Beat Breast Cancer!
Donation protected
Five days before Christmas, my brother Mike and sister in-law Amanda received news that no one ever wants to hear. Amanda was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is only 37 years old. She has stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer, an aggressive type of breast cancer that grows and spreads more quickly than other types, making this a terrifying time for their family. Between them, they have 7 boys, 5 that are still at home, ranging in age from 13 to their 3-year-old twins. It’s a scary and confusing time for all of them, especially the younger ones who won’t understand why Amanda won’t always be able to give them all the mommy cuddles they’re used to. Any parent knows how hard it is to take care of kids when you have a cold or the flu, to make them understand things are different for some reason, but I can’t even imagine fighting cancer while having five children at home that need you. They have been shocked by this diagnosis, and we are all terribly anxious and saddened for what this family will endure in the year to come.
As if that wasn’t enough… Mike is sick too
Mike was admitted to the hospital in June for bacterial pneumonia. Around the same time, he found out he has Lyme disease. Together, the infections have wreaked havoc on his immune system. He’s been to doctors several times a week since, enduring more tests and scans than I can count. He’s seen neurologists, rheumatologists, and physical therapists, to name a few, in an ongoing battle to figure out what is wrong and if there is any treatment that will provide relief, let alone a cure.
It’s debilitating to the point that he hasn’t been able to work and had to resign from his job, which was their main source of income. Six months ago, he was perfectly healthy and now there are days it’s difficult for him to get out of bed. This is especially tough for the youngest boys to understand since Daddy, as they knew him, was a walking jungle gym. Now he struggles daily with vertigo, migraines, nausea, joint pain and vision problems. To see him lose his physical capabilities, to not be able to do small tasks without being dizzy and having to sit down… to hear he lost his balance and fell trying to help doing something as simple as switch over the laundry... it’s all been so heartbreaking. He’s still seeing specialists in search of answers. In the middle of this already challenging time, his wife, his rock, has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Treatment
Amanda started chemotherapy at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston last week. She’ll have 10+ hour days there for the next 12 weeks for her first round of chemotherapy. Next, she’ll have what’s referred to as “Red Devil” chemo as her second round, lasting another 12 weeks. Amanda will then be given a month off the chemo to help rebuild her immune system before undergoing a radical mastectomy. Radiation will follow. After that, the doctors will update her with any additional steps needed until she’s cancer free.
A bit more about the two of them...
Mike and Amanda have been married over a decade. They are still crazy in love, and since he’s my brother, I think I’m allowed to say that it’s almost gross. In that way, they are the luckiest people in the world. They are the type of couple you just know will grow old together. You can still see that sparkle in their eyes when they look at each other, more like teenagers in love than parents in a chaotic house with 5 children. No matter what life throws their way, they know they have each other. They make everything work and give the rest of us something to hope for.
Amanda’s family means everything to her. She is so many things. An amazing mother. A daughter. A sister. An incredibly loyal friend. An excellent cook...which is important to our family! To me, she’s my sister in-law. And mostly, the incredibly loyal friend that I mentioned. She’s someone who is there for everyone and makes time for people in a world where everyone else seems too busy. No matter how much she has going on (and it’s a lot sometimes in their full house!) she always manages to worry about, care, and reach out to everyone else. She may not realize how much that means to other people, but it’s meant more to me in the past year than she’ll ever know. She’s like any of us, with ups and downs, but I will tell you this woman handles everything like a boss. The things most people would surely get irritated with she laughs off, loving each minute of her busy life with her boys.
Mike’s been the main provider and such a hardworking, dedicated husband to Amanda and their children. His easygoing nature is such a rarity in this world that it’s refreshing just to be around him. Mike is one of the strongest guys I know. He has the patience of a saint and the heart of a lion. Just don’t ask him how to do something… because his directions may be 4 hours long, involve 8 side stories, and end with him coming over to do it himself. That’s what we love about him. Both of them are such helpful, thoughtful, kind human beings. This all seems so unfair.
Some of us have seen family members go through things like this and it’s so trying. You feel helpless and hate to see them hurting. Amanda’s been there to support him every step of the way and done everything she can to ease the physical and mental pain of what he’s been dealing with for the past 6 months. Now, she has a huge battle to fight too. Mike’s been amazingly strong since they found out, trying to do everything for her now, despite his own struggle.
I know they don’t want to ask for help. But they’ll need it. Their happy, positive attitudes toward life have been challenged, yet they are still so thankful for what they do have. The financial burden that comes along with cancer is something I wish no family ever had to worry about. Unfortunately, it will be a burden, another cause of stress, when they already have more of that than they’ve ever known.
How You Can Help
Donations will help them focus on what matters. It will help them to give all their strength and attention to their health, to being strong and positive, while they fight this for their family.
Please, even if you are unable to donate, share this post so others can help if they’d like. We know with enough prayers and support they’ll get through this incredibly difficult time. Let’s help them get back to raising their beautiful family and help the Proulx crew get through this.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions or would like to help in another way!
My email is [email redacted].
#prucrewgetsthru #fightlikeagirl #breastcancerawareness #nopenotyet
As if that wasn’t enough… Mike is sick tooMike was admitted to the hospital in June for bacterial pneumonia. Around the same time, he found out he has Lyme disease. Together, the infections have wreaked havoc on his immune system. He’s been to doctors several times a week since, enduring more tests and scans than I can count. He’s seen neurologists, rheumatologists, and physical therapists, to name a few, in an ongoing battle to figure out what is wrong and if there is any treatment that will provide relief, let alone a cure.
It’s debilitating to the point that he hasn’t been able to work and had to resign from his job, which was their main source of income. Six months ago, he was perfectly healthy and now there are days it’s difficult for him to get out of bed. This is especially tough for the youngest boys to understand since Daddy, as they knew him, was a walking jungle gym. Now he struggles daily with vertigo, migraines, nausea, joint pain and vision problems. To see him lose his physical capabilities, to not be able to do small tasks without being dizzy and having to sit down… to hear he lost his balance and fell trying to help doing something as simple as switch over the laundry... it’s all been so heartbreaking. He’s still seeing specialists in search of answers. In the middle of this already challenging time, his wife, his rock, has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Treatment
Amanda started chemotherapy at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston last week. She’ll have 10+ hour days there for the next 12 weeks for her first round of chemotherapy. Next, she’ll have what’s referred to as “Red Devil” chemo as her second round, lasting another 12 weeks. Amanda will then be given a month off the chemo to help rebuild her immune system before undergoing a radical mastectomy. Radiation will follow. After that, the doctors will update her with any additional steps needed until she’s cancer free.
A bit more about the two of them...
Mike and Amanda have been married over a decade. They are still crazy in love, and since he’s my brother, I think I’m allowed to say that it’s almost gross. In that way, they are the luckiest people in the world. They are the type of couple you just know will grow old together. You can still see that sparkle in their eyes when they look at each other, more like teenagers in love than parents in a chaotic house with 5 children. No matter what life throws their way, they know they have each other. They make everything work and give the rest of us something to hope for.
Amanda’s family means everything to her. She is so many things. An amazing mother. A daughter. A sister. An incredibly loyal friend. An excellent cook...which is important to our family! To me, she’s my sister in-law. And mostly, the incredibly loyal friend that I mentioned. She’s someone who is there for everyone and makes time for people in a world where everyone else seems too busy. No matter how much she has going on (and it’s a lot sometimes in their full house!) she always manages to worry about, care, and reach out to everyone else. She may not realize how much that means to other people, but it’s meant more to me in the past year than she’ll ever know. She’s like any of us, with ups and downs, but I will tell you this woman handles everything like a boss. The things most people would surely get irritated with she laughs off, loving each minute of her busy life with her boys.
Mike’s been the main provider and such a hardworking, dedicated husband to Amanda and their children. His easygoing nature is such a rarity in this world that it’s refreshing just to be around him. Mike is one of the strongest guys I know. He has the patience of a saint and the heart of a lion. Just don’t ask him how to do something… because his directions may be 4 hours long, involve 8 side stories, and end with him coming over to do it himself. That’s what we love about him. Both of them are such helpful, thoughtful, kind human beings. This all seems so unfair.
Some of us have seen family members go through things like this and it’s so trying. You feel helpless and hate to see them hurting. Amanda’s been there to support him every step of the way and done everything she can to ease the physical and mental pain of what he’s been dealing with for the past 6 months. Now, she has a huge battle to fight too. Mike’s been amazingly strong since they found out, trying to do everything for her now, despite his own struggle.
I know they don’t want to ask for help. But they’ll need it. Their happy, positive attitudes toward life have been challenged, yet they are still so thankful for what they do have. The financial burden that comes along with cancer is something I wish no family ever had to worry about. Unfortunately, it will be a burden, another cause of stress, when they already have more of that than they’ve ever known.
How You Can Help
Donations will help them focus on what matters. It will help them to give all their strength and attention to their health, to being strong and positive, while they fight this for their family.
Please, even if you are unable to donate, share this post so others can help if they’d like. We know with enough prayers and support they’ll get through this incredibly difficult time. Let’s help them get back to raising their beautiful family and help the Proulx crew get through this.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions or would like to help in another way!
My email is [email redacted].
#prucrewgetsthru #fightlikeagirl #breastcancerawareness #nopenotyet
Organizer and beneficiary
Heather Rucker
Organizer
Groton, CT
Amanda Proulx
Beneficiary