Help Stephanie RING that bell!

On October 31, 2022, Steph began a whirlwind journey she had no idea would lead to where she is today. After discovering a lump in her left breast, she immediately sought medical attention and testing. While she was initially met with favorable news, she had a gut feeling something wasn’t right. So, on December 12th, while at a doctor’s appointment for Laila, in true Steph fashion, she was a strong advocate for herself and began to ask more questions in an attempt to get answers. This quickly led to a series of additional tests and medical procedures and appointments. In what likely seemed to be the 3 longest weeks of her life, Steph was ‘re-diagnosed’ with each procedure. On January 2nd, which also happened to be her and Jonathan’s 2nd wedding anniversary, she received the difficult news that this was no longer going to be a quick and easy battle. Her PET scan revealed that the cancer was in all four quads of her breast, skin, nipple, pectoral muscle, armpit & collarbone lymph nodes and her T5, T8 and S1 vertebrae. Stage 4 Breast Cancer that had metastasized. This quickly changed the trajectory of her treatment as well as the location of where she could receive it. At this point, things are moving quickly and the road is going to be long and somewhat unknown. While this is certainly scary and unfamiliar territory for the entire family, Steph’s positivity and determination have yet to waiver. Her response of “Well I’ve always loved a good challenge,” is a true testament to who she is and how she intends to face this.

 As a result of what lies ahead, Steph will have to step away from work for a while to focus on her health and her family. Her exact treatment needs and location have yet to be determined but are likely to be significant, aggressive and costly. With that being said, she has made three things clear; she does NOT want pity- only good vibes and positivity to help fuel her fight. She does not want her husband and children to suffer with the absence of her income. And most importantly, she IS ringing that bell at the end of this.

 While Steph is determined to conquer to this, she recognizes it is not going to be an easy battle or one that she can face alone. She knows she needs to lean on her ‘army’. If you know Steph, you love her. And you know she would not hesitate to drop everything to help someone else. She is selfless, caring, and always shows up for everyone. This is our turn to show up for her and not let money get in the way of the care she deserves.

 We will continue to provide periodic updates on Steph’s progress and her needs as they are expected to change over time. Right now, funds will be used to compensate for her loss of income and treatment related travel expenses (which is likely to be in Texas) and general support for her entire family throughout this challenging time.

 On behalf of Steph, Jonathan, Faithlynn, Laila, Adalynn, Maxx and Everly, thank you for your support and for being part of their army. She looks forward to ringing that bell.

 #StephStrong #AcresArmy