Update Post 8•27•25

Today is a wonderful day, today Tessa starts teaching music in her very own classroom.

She's come so far from almost a year ago having surgery, then receiving radiation treatments and more infusions.

As the months went by and she began to heal, getting back into a routine into a different mindset she continued to triumph and still does!

I am so extremely proud of and happy for her and all her accomplishments since this journey began. Tessa has a strong will and passion about her that is such an inspiration, it's beautiful to see.

This month out of them all has been honestly one of the best yet to come, having her infusion port removed was a blessing, watching her on stage in her element on multiple occasions especially this past weekend warned my heart in so many ways.

I am truly grateful for all the happy moments that she is now experiencing and can't wait to share more with her. Thank you all for your support with Tessa’s Triumph it's very much appreciated.

(How Tessa's Triumph began)

•2024 has been the year of courage for many of us and I admire my daughter Tessa most of all for hers. Back in February at just age 22 she was diagnosed after a self exam with Breast cancer, presumed stage 2 IDC grade three with triple positive hormone markers, DCIS grade three, with axillary lymph node involvement.

It was the middle of her college senior year, she had just completed student teaching and was hit with the most devastating news no one wants to hear.

The determination, the will to finish school and start an 18 week chemo treatment plan before any surgery could happen all while living away from home for the first time. The bravery and optimism she continues to have is inspiringly remarkable.

She has just completed her 18th treatment and I will tell you it hasn't been an easy one. Unexplained reactions to the treatment and even the Benadryl to help it subside was causing adverse reactions. The only way to avoid it was prolonging a 5-hour treatment to 8/10 hours to slowly give her the chemo rather than overloading her system. This was difficult in many ways and still is today, it's not just treatment days it's the week healing from it to just do it all again the next. Around mid-April things were getting tough, it was scary, emotional and hard on her body so hualting treatment until after graduation seemed like the only answer to have some normalcy as she ended her school year. Thankfully she was able to crush her senior recital and graduate from RIC 1st generation with a Bachelor of Music, magna cum laude, Presidential Scholar, Hope Scholar and the recipient of the Alice K. Pellegrino Music Education Award. I’ve always been so very proud of her scholastic career and music dedication, but it's the unwavering strength despite the odds I've witnessed in her since her diagnosis that really inspires me as a human.

After her treatments were complete at the end of July we celebrated her amazing accomplishment and then had another scary first the second week of August. With her surgery date set more blood work was needed, this was something she had to do throughout the entirety of her treatment. I know this was a painful experience a majority of the time due to her veins being small and close to the skin it was difficult to accomplish with ease.

At times her levels would be in a normal range of low causing her to skip a week or just push through adding infusions of potassium and magnesium to her treatments. This time even though she technically was done with treatment and her symptoms seemed less, her levels were dangerously low. One of the scariest calls by far, she was in desperate need of a blood transfusion as those levels were way below the normal mark. Tessa had never experienced this before or the E.R for that matter, so many unknowns all I could do was just rub her back and be by her side. After about two days in the hospital, a couple pints of blood, all the scary warnings and possible reactions and extra tests she was able to go home. She's doing better and adjusting well, of course I'm overly concerned and just want to make it all better for her like any parent would. There's one thing about Tessa, she's extremely independent and doesn't like to burden others or ask for help even when it's offered. So as her Momma I'm here to ask for your support with her triumph.

Her journey will be transitioning to another scary first in the next week to surgery and recovery from a double mastectomy with lymph node removal. After which she will find out the exact stage of cancer and if any further treatment will be needed. Definitely not an easy process and the financial support will help her take more time to recuperate before continuing her career as a Choral teacher.

It will also lighten some of the extra load from her wonderful boyfriend Jake who has been one of her biggest supporters and caregivers during this time. I'm so thankful for him each and every day and beyond grateful they only live a few minutes away as they grow together on their own. Please join me in making this journey just a little bit easier for them in any way you can. No donation is too small and I appreciate all who are able to from the bottom of my heart; thank you!