My passion for nonprofits goes without saying, especially when it’s correlated to something that hit so close to home… Unfortunately, we all know someone who’s been affected by the “c” word.

In January 2018, I took the leap for more opportunities and moved from Holt, MI, to Atlanta, GA. Come March 2018, my mom was diagnosed with cervical cancer (severe squamous dysplasia/CIN 3, to be exact). It was as if the once concrete foundational pieces I knew to be “home” crumbled beneath me. Thinking back to our family history with the BRCA2 breast cancer gene and the number of loved ones we’ve lost to it and other forms of cancer, 803 miles never felt so far away.

“Umm, yeah, I’m a Firefighter/Paramedic. I don’t have time for radiation or chemo. So what are my options?” For those who don’t know my mother, she is incredibly stubborn, exceptionally strong, and fiercely resilient. My mom was scheduled for surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible in April 2018. After a second surgery in June 2018, she was deemed cancer-free.

I’m honored to celebrate my mom and the 18 million survivors across the US by continuing to do my part to support this organization. Though more and more people are kicking cancer’s butt, we still have a lot of work to do!