Diagnosed in 2016, Melissa remembers her first chemotherapy treatment was the same day as her daughter’s first day of first grade. She knew it was important for her to create stability for her two kids.
Cancer threatened to steal my joy. However, my faith, friends, and support from Gateway to Hope kept me smiling.
After her initial appointment with Gateway to Hope, she thought the assistance was “too good to be true”. Armed with both financial and emotional support, Melissa was truly able to focus on healing.
Knowing her family would not “face catastrophic financial ruin was a huge mental stress relief”. And early in her journey with Gateway to Hope, she was able to forge another life-changing connection –breast cancer support for her close friend Lauren.
Lauren and Melissa, both young mothers and longtime friends, were diagnosed with breast cancer within months of each other. Melissa and Lauren describe their experience with Gateway to Hope as invigorating.
We are fighters, survivors, brave princess warriors who bore the battle scars to prove the dark roads we’ve walked.
To this day Melissa and Lauren continue to share their story with everyone they meet–creating a ripple effect of hope.
