Carpool to Chemo

Experiencing blood cancer as a Black woman and as a mom feels isolating at times. These parts of my identity make my experience different from many of those that I was reading about or seeing represented. My identity doesn’t always feel "centered" throughout my treatment and recovery, and I have to advocate for myself. Plus, since my initial diagnosis in March, I have had to stay away from work, church, and all of the places I regularly find community because I'm immunocompromised. I started Carpool to Chemo as a way to find community with other moms dealing with cancer. It's also a way to tell my story from my perspective, in hopes that others will either see themselves reflected in my experience or be more aware of the diversity within cancer communities.

Thank you Stephanie for your important work in using your art to raise awareness of the diversity within the cancer community. Follow Stephanie at !

When you’re a parent in treatment for cancer, you find yourself even more frequently being summoned to play when all you really want to do is throw on your pajamas and get into bed. Check out my for ideas on games you can play with your kids while recovering from treatment.

Cancer treatment is exhausting. Get five ideas for entertaining kids while lying down on my latest blog post.

“Show a photo of you smiling and appearing to be strong when in actuality you were at your lowest.”

This photo was taken by my mom October. I had just been told my cancer was back. I was admitted into the hospital immediately for another round of induction chemotherapy.

One of my doctors stated “This isn’t a battle we always win.” I was SO scared. Not for me. For my children. I don’t want to leave them. I wanted to know if this was the end of my battle but I didn’t want to ask. It seemed like no one knew what to say to me. We were all, including my medical team, shocked.

I spoke to my therapist soon after, and she encouraged me to channel my fear and worry into something more productive. That’s when the idea for Carpool to Chemo came. I needed community with people who do know what to say because they’ve lived it or are living it. I wanted to help others by telling my story and sharing what I know.

It almost makes me cry to look at this photo, because you can see the pain and fear in my eyes. But it’s a reminder of the hope and faith that has carried me through and will continue to carry me.

thank you for the idea and for sharing your story and the stories of others!

Half day at the clinic today. Needed a blood transfusion to recover my post-chemo counts. Hubby is on carpool duty today. Looking forward to heading home soon to catch up on how the school day went! For now, I’m enjoying a little clinic Christmas music.

It’s ! Shout out your favorite organization in the comments!

A good reminder from . As cancer patients, we often grieve the people we were before diagnosis. Furthermore, the road ahead of us can feel daunting at times. Breath in. Breath out. Take time to be grateful for the progress you’ve made.

Hello! My mission is to provide support for moms with cancer and to support their mental health through the sharing of resources and my own personal insights. When I was diagnosed with acute leukemia in March, one of the first things I noticed was the lack of resources and awareness of the unique issues and challenges moms facing cancer deal with on a daily basis. Together we can change that! Click on the link in my bio to follow my blog and join me on this important mission.

You are not alone in this journey! Click on the link in my bio to see how Carpool to Chemo can support moms with cancer.

The holiday season is here! These are great tips for facing the holidays post-diagnosis.

Cancer Survivors Share Holiday Words of Wisdom | PearlPoint Nutrition Services The holiday season is here! After a cancer diagnosis, the holidays may pose new challenges for patients and their families. Patients may not feel well enough to participate in all...

Free support groups for the LGBTQI+ community.

Are you someone currently on their cancer journey and in need of community? If so, sign up for our weekly, + peer support groups that are free of cost. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/LGBTQPeerSupportGroups or contact us for more information at [email protected]

Check out Bright Spot Network to find out more about what Haley and her amazing partner Aimee are doing to support moms facing cancer!

Meet Haley Pollack, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Bright Spot Network. ⁠
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After months of discomfort, Haley went to the doctor to discuss what she thought was routine postpartum constipation. That appointment revealed dangerous anemia and after a month of tests, she was diagnosed with Stage 3c colon cancer at 37. She had a 6-month-old baby and a 3-year-old at home. ⁠
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Bright Spot Network was born out of the experiences of Haley and her co-founder Aimee Barnes. They were both new moms recently diagnosed with cancer, falling through the cracks. Haley and Aimee not only connected over their shared cancer experience but also their relationships, kids, work and life in general. ⁠
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We asked Haley what the inspiration for her work is and she said, "I'm inspired everyday by parents doing the unimaginable task of parenting with cancer. I feel lucky that I get to have moments where I see the impact of the work we do at Bright Spot Network often. We just launched "Bright Club," a group for kids with a parent with cancer. Almost immediately after the group I was getting messages from parents saying that their kids met other kids who have a parent with cancer for the first time. Cancer can be an isolating experience for the patient and for the whole family, even its youngest members. I love to see connections like these take shape."⁠
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⁠🔥 At Wildfire, we believe strongly in supporting the work of survivor-led and survivor-inspired projects that strive to be . ⁠
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💫 Each of our Underwriters, like Haley, Aimee and , do this. We are so appreciative of them for the work they do for our community, and for helping Wildfire continue to publish as well.⁠ We have the Underwriters to thank for making our current MBC issue possible!⁠
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💡Are you a Breast Cancer Changemaker? DM to learn more about how you can become a Wildfire Underwriter for our next issue.⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Register at bethematch.org and save a life!

Hello! I’m Natalie. I’m a mom of three, a professional counselor and counselor educator, and a cancer patient. I came up with the idea for this blog as a space for moms facing cancer or moms who are now in survivorship after a cancer diagnosis to support one another.

On March 17, 2022, a week after my 46th birthday, I was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia. Since then, I’ve been trying my best to fight for my life while also trying to be the best wife and mom I can be under these circumstances. I quickly noticed that there weren’t many spaces for moms to talk or learn about the impact of cancer and cancer treatment on motherhood, and hope to change that!