Help Lisa raise money

Cancer has been a part of my family’s story for a long time—but nothing prepares you for how deeply it changes everything.

My mom, Sue, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. I was just 15 years old, and like any teenager, I was terrified of losing her. But if there’s one way to describe my mom, it’s this: she is tough, brave, and resilient. She faced that diagnosis head-on and kept going—for all of us.

In 2022, cancer came back. And just a few months later, our world was turned upside down again when my father passed away suddenly. In the midst of grief, there was no time to stand still. I felt an overwhelming responsibility to be there for my mom—to support her, to show up, and to help her navigate what came next.

In 2024, we learned the cancer had metastasized. Stage 4.

Since then, her journey has been anything but easy. She spent nearly two years on oral treatment, only to recently learn that the cancer has mutated and begun growing again. 

Now, she’s starting a new course of treatment—regular injections combined with oral medication—and is bravely participating in a clinical trial for a new drug that could help extend the lives of others facing this same disease. Even now, she continues to fight with everything she has.

But cancer doesn’t just affect the person diagnosed—it ripples through every part of a family. Losing my dad while my mom is battling cancer has been one of the hardest things we’ve ever faced. The weight of knowing she is going through this without her partner, while we try to be strong for her, is something I can’t fully put into words.

And yet, somehow, we keep going.
We’ve learned to live differently—to keep the diagnosis in the background as much as we can and focus on what matters most: time together. The small moments. The conversations. The laughter. Those are the things we hold onto.

My mom is more than her diagnosis. She is an avid reader, a lover of literature, and someone who always knows exactly what to say. She’s the person you turn to for guidance, for honesty, for strength. She taught me to be independent, to stand firm in my values, and to never let anything stand in the way of my goals.

Now it’s my turn to stand strong for her.
I show up to appointments. I make time, no matter what. I try to be the support she has always been for me. Because at the end of the day, family is everything—and this experience has made that clearer than ever. Life is short. It’s fragile. And it’s incredibly precious.

That’s why I’m running the Falmouth Road Race in support of the American Cancer Society.

I’m running for my mom, Sue. I’m running for my family. And I’m running for every family whose lives have been changed by cancer.

What keeps my mom going are her two children and her six grandchildren. What keeps me going is my family—especially my son—and the hope that one day, other families like mine won’t have to go through this.

Cancer is relentless. It doesn’t just affect one person—it affects everyone who loves them. And without continued funding for research and treatment, too many more lives will be forever changed.

If you’re able, please consider donating. Every contribution helps fund critical research, improve treatments, and bring hope to families like mine.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, and for being part of this fight with us.