A breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery affect a patient physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially. And it extends to affecting the entire family – caregivers, children and spouses. At Go Jen Go, we are honored to help patients and their families focus on their health and wellbeing. Even more special are those moments when the support comes full circle and patients are ready to share their story and support our foundation.
Ava’s Breast Cancer Diagnosis & Journey
Ava is a 30-year-old wife, mom of two, and massage therapist, who wasn’t expecting the breast cancer diagnosis and journey she had ahead of her.
She was diagnosed at 28, after her husband found the lump, with stage 2 triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma in February 2024. Ava’s treatment plan included six months of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy with reconstruction. We are excited to share that as of October 2024 there is still no evidence of the disease. She finished treatment this past May and may have future scans in the coming months.
Ava shared, “My breast cancer journey deeply affected every part of my life physically, emotionally, and financially. I had to stop working, and at the time, my husband was in school full-time. I’m the mom of two young kids and was the primary breadwinner, so this was incredibly challenging. Thankfully, my husband earned several scholarships that helped support us while I couldn’t work and Go Jen Go assisted with bills for six months, which relieved some of the financial stress.
Being a mom during treatment was incredibly hard. I had almost no energy and was very sick, especially toward the end of treatment, which meant missing many of my kids’ sporting events and spending a lot of time in bed. The thought of not being there for my husband and children was terrifying. My diagnosis brought a lot of fear and anger, and I even had to be hospitalized once due to a reaction from chemotherapy. It was a truly difficult time, but the support from my family and others made a world of difference.”
Go Jen Go Gives Support & Hope
Thankfully one of our long time supporters told Ava all about Go Jen Go and she applied for assistance. Our Patient Assistance Program financial support helped pay their rent for six months. We also provided gifts for her entire family during the holidays through our Operation Spread the Joy Program.
“Go Jen Go is an amazing organization that cares about the people it supports. Providing practical help and emotional encouragement, which can make a huge difference when life feels overwhelming. They remind you that you are not alone and that there are people that want to lift you up when you need it most.” – Ava B.
The Full Circle Moment
We are so thankful to know that Ava is doing well, still no evidence of the disease, and back to working as a Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Lymphedema Therapist, through her company Rooted Bodywork & Lymphatics. We love seeing a full circle moment of support occur as Ava has donated her services as part of our Cheers Jen Cheers Silent Auction, is working on educational content for our grantees and blog, and we are excited to partner in the near future to offer her self-manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) class to our grantees. We are honored to not only have supported Ava and her family, but to have her in a place where she is ready to help support other breast cancer patients supported by our foundation.
She has always loved helping others, a calling that was affirmed during her cancer journey. That journey reshaped her perspective on life, healing, and touch. When most interactions revolved around needles, machines, and medical procedures, the intentional, loving touch of massage helped bring her body out of fight-or-flight mode and offered peace in the storm of treatment. Rooted Bodywork & Lymphatics was born out of that experience rooted in love, grounding, and a commitment to healing.
Aware of the risk of lymphedema after surgery and radiation, Ava immersed herself in learning everything she could, both to protect herself and to help others walking a similar path. Learn more about her services and her Kindness Kneaded initiative, giving a free 90-minute massage each month to someone in need.
Want to help support breast cancer patients like Ava? Make a donation to support our Patient Assistance Program or become a Jen’s Legacy monthly donor.