Allison was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in Feb 2019 at age 38. She had no prior history of cancer and was a mother of young children (ages 6 months and 4 years old) planning out their future as a family. After several months of back pain that wasn’t improving, she went to the ER, expecting to find something like a slipped disc. Instead, she was told that she had cancer spread extensively throughout my body, at the time including lungs, liver, and entire skeletal structure. Instead of going to work the next day, she headed to Boston for biopsies and emergency surgeries, where it was confirmed she had stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Despite being warned not to google results we did it anyway, and immediately started to panic as they read she had less than a 25% chance of surviving 5 years.
Allison wrote “The first year had several scary setbacks, but luckily I pulled through those initial treatments and got back to a point that I was stable with a moderate quality of life with my kids. We learned to live a new normal, with less physical activities and I gave up my hard earned career to save my energy, allow me the time I needed to attend an endless barrage or treatments, and limit my pain for meaningful family experiences. Giving up my career gives me more time for family, but limits finances for those special family outings.”
This year, Allison is celebrating making it to the milestone of 5 years of survival that seemed so impossible. She has had recent setbacks, including discovery of a brain tumor on Christmas Eve 2022, but thankfully radiation and recent laser brain surgery continue to buy her more time. These setbacks are constant reminders to make memories now while it is possible.
Allison made a wish to take a meaningful family trip to build lasting, meaningful memories for her girls to have in the future. “No amount of time will ever be enough to make up for the years I’m going to miss with my girls (now age 5 and 9), but I want to make the last of our time together as special as possible. Traveling in celebration of the last 5 years together feels like the perfect time for this experience.”
Stella’s Wish Foundation granted Allison’s wish and helped them with a family experience at Story Land Hotel and Theme Park in New Hampshire.
