On June 5th, 2025 I was diagnosed with stage four de novo widely metastatic breast cancer at the age of 40. When my condition was finally detected, it had spread all through my bones including my neck, back, spine, ribs, arm, skull and femur. I started treatment immediately and was given a pamphlet about Wellspring. After learning I had the big C, it felt surreal. My life turned upside down quickly and I was feeling very overwhelmed with the unexpected news and the amount of information introduced.
It took me a few months after being diagnosed before I began to enroll into Wellspring programs. I was adjusting to the treatments and their side effects, while also grieving the loss of a dear friend who passed away from the same illness shortly after I was diagnosed. There was also a new malignant tumor that was found on my scalp a few months after being diagnosed.
Wellspring has provided me holistic healing with programs that offer support physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. I truly feel that these have helped me better improve my health and brought me to where I am today. With the support of the Wellspring staff and volunteers, I have tried several programs including exercise, chi life, yoga – physical movement being my favorite as I enjoy being active and on the go!
The cancer exercise program helped me regain energy after grieving all the things I used to be able to do physically including dancing, hiking, and being in person with my community. Because the cancer is metastatic to the bones, I will likely always have some amount of pain, but it has definitely improved, thanks to Wellspring programs.
Some days are tougher than others, and I have noticed that even if I am not feeling entirely up for going to a program, the ones that help support me physically allow me to notice the shift in my body, and I am grateful for those moments. Wellspring’s exercise programs have helped me stay active and work on my strength and overall physical well-being. I’ve especially appreciated having exercises that are adapted to where I’m at physically and support areas I want to work and focus on. I think one of the biggest benefits has also been feeling more confident in moving my body again and knowing that I have a supportive environment where I can exercise safely.
I took mental support programs such as relaxation and visualization, meditation workshops, art therapy, and reiki, to name a few. I started with a Breast Cancer one and was then introduced to the Oasis group which has members with metastatic cancer. This felt like a safe space where I could share my feelings and where like-minded people were going through what I was – even if it isn’t the same diagnosis or treatment.
It has also proven to be a place where I learn a lot too. Everyone has their own journey when it comes to treatments, family, and their own personal challenges. These groups help me feel validated, understood, and most importantly, less isolated. I’m grateful for joining Wellspring’s programs because I can see how it has brought so much positivity to my life.
Some people are lucky to become cancer free, but others must live with it. You may look great, but you don’t always feel great. Survivorship has invisible symptoms and I continue to grieve a version of life I imagined. Still, Wellspring’s programs and amazing team have brought clarity, a shifting of my priorities, and strengthened my voice and resilience. My gratitude for Wellspring as a support system has been everything to me: From practical help or simply consistent presence. I also feel grateful for my wider circle including family and friends who have reminded me of who I was on days I have felt reduced by this diagnosis. My support system, which includes Wellspring, has brought light back into dark moments and has provided healing in ways medicine never could.
Unfortunately, many of us know someone in our lives with cancer, which is why support for Wellspring is important. Your support is the reason someone like me can walk through the doors and access these programs without having to worry about additional costs.
Cancer takes so much from you. It can take your energy, your independence, your sense of normalcy, and sometimes even your connection to the person you were before. During a time when so much feels uncertain, having a place like Wellspring — where you can find support, community, movement, and understanding — can make an incredible difference.
For me, being able to access Wellspring’s programs for free meant that I could focus on healing and rebuilding my life without adding another financial burden to an already difficult experience. That is what donations make possible. It means someone facing cancer can find a community when they feel alone. It means someone can regain strength when they feel like their body has let them down. And it means support is available to people when they need it most, regardless of their financial circumstances.
People living with cancer deserve more than treatment alone. They deserve the opportunity to feel supported, connected, active, and hopeful again. I am here today because of the support I received — and because donors make that support possible.