Defining Support, The Cancer Mom Series: Melissa

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Defining Support, The Cancer Warrior Mom Series is a collection of thoughts from many incredible Cancer Moms and how they define support. 

By Melissa Scanlon

Melissa is Mom to Gemma, who was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor on her 3rd birthday in 2017. Today, Gemma currently is in remission.

Support as a cancer mom often comes from unexpected people – the charitable volunteers that bring gifts to the hospital, the owner of Planet 21 salons that hears our story and offers to give us both cute pixie cuts to prep for chemo, the dry cleaning lady that texts you for years (even when she changes jobs!) just to tell you she is praying for your family, and our girl nurse Lauren at the clinic who was an absolute angel and took care of me as much as Gemma!

If it takes a village to raise a child it takes a universe to raise a child with cancer. Our daycare (Ballancrest Academy) rallied a huge team to do the ISF 5K in Gemma’s honor. Those teachers and families cried with me and cheered for me the whole way and we could not have survived without them. They still celebrate Gemma coming back to life with us. We will all be sobbing at her “graduation” this summer as she starts kindergarten in the fall. They have cemented roles as our extended family because of their never ending support. 

All cancer moms will tell you we are part of the club no one wants to join. You are all at once the one that holds them down to access their ports and the one that dries their tears after. It is sickening to watch your beautiful child get chemo or sedate them every day for radiation. And even though you are heartbroken you have to be strong because you are the #1 cheerleader. That is why all the family, friends and community support is so vital. Some days you just need a hug! Also you are basically living at the clinic – thankfully we have the wonderful people at Levine and do not have to go far – but someone has to cut back at work in order to stay on the treatment plan which adds a financial strain to an already stressful situation. It is so important that families have resources to alleviate that burden.

Donate in honor of these incredible women, your donation to the Isabella Santos Foundation helps fund research so desperately needed for rare pediatric cancer patients.

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