Imagine celebrating your 28th birthday with the fresh knowledge that you have a deadly cancer. Chanah Wolkow turned 28 in August  and learned that she has a rare and aggressive type of cancer called Peritoneal Mesothelioma. It strikes less than 400 people per year, is extremely aggressive and is life-threatening. The life expectancy data is not perfect, because the cancer is rare. However, Chanah is a fighter and is making a good start with an otherwise healthy body. She is hopeful that with great doctors, positivity and the power of Prayer, she will beat all the odds!

In February 2025, Chanah started noticing rapid fluid weight gain, abdominal distention, and discomfort. Chanah is a person who is in tune with her own body - she’s a fitness and nutrition coach and knew that something was not adding up. Her diet and exercise regimen was impeccable, so she began a journey to understand why she was having mysterious symptoms.

She visited several doctors….primary care, GI, functional……each of whom had different ideas about what could be causing the symptoms. But her diagnosis was always “Ascites with unknown etiology.”

In May 2025, she and her husband were concurrently dealing with fertility struggles, and she underwent surgery to open her fallopian tubes. During that surgery, her doctor discovered little mucocele-type bumps on the lining of her abdomen and decided to biopsy the area.

In July 2025, the biopsy results returned with an initial diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma, which was incredibly surprising in and of itself, but especially shocking in someone so young. Chanah was fast-tracked to a specialist at Vanderbilt and subsequently underwent a colonoscopy and laparoscopy to gather additional biopsies which would hopefully prove the initial diagnosis invalid.

Unfortunately, the diagnosis was instead confirmed. Since then, she and her husband Jacob have been making difficult decisions about which surgeon best fits her needs, and where to receive treatment. It’s a confusing and stressful time, but they are learning a lot and making the best possible choices for her treatment and recovery. Luckily, they have supportive and loving families to help them navigate the decision making process in order to walk boldly forward into the battle.

After speaking with a medical oncologist, the decision was made to perform chemotherapy prior to surgery. It will take several months to complete the chemotherapy. Then in December 2025 or January 2026, she will undergo an extensive surgery to remove areas of affected tissue. Any non-essential organs might be removed (and are likely to be removed), including her appendix, gallbladder, spleen, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and some sections of large and small intestines. Following the surgery, she will undergo a “hot chemotherapy bath” to scar the tissues in her peritoneum. Recovery is expected to take about three months and is expected to be quite painful as the area heals with scar tissue.

In the meanwhile, her oncologist and fertility doctors have suggested that her eggs be harvested to prepare for pregnancy attempts following her recovery. Chanah is hopeful her uterus is spared in the surgery so she may possibly bear children in the future.

To say the least, all of this was a huge shock and surprise in the young lives of these two wonderful people. They were preparing to build a first home and start a family. Instead, they are faced with a deadly disease, an uncertain future, and major medical bills. As an example, the medication alone to prepare her for egg retrieval was $8,000 and it cost another $6,200 for the surgery. The Wolkows have travel expenses and hospital expenses to cover, as well as experiencing lost income during this long process. The fees for her chemotherapy and immunotherapy will present them with a challenging financial situation.

As they are praying for miracles, finding guidance from doctors, and preparing for the upcoming battle against cancer, medical bills and travel expenses are already piling up. Chanah and Jacob are people who love to give and to serve others. They have strong faith in God and a strong marriage. They have not asked for help from friends or strangers. However, it would be an amazing gift for them to receive both financial and emotional support at this time in their young lives.

Prayers for healing will help lead to a miracle. Financial support would also be an answer to one of a myriad of hopeful prayers. Please consider making a donation to help this courageous and loving young couple in their time of need.

Chanah has stated that she knows God has plans for her, and that her life has meaning beyond anything she can imagine. Her greatest hope is that she will overcome this incredibly daunting challenge, emerging victorious. She prays that God will use her as a vessel to be his hands and voice on Earth in order to share His love with others who are victims of this terrible disease.