“"You are pregnant". "You have breast cancer".  Two phrases you never expect to hear simultaneously. In January 2022, my life completely changed with my breast cancer diagnosis and pregnancy news. There are so many things running through your mind that you don't know what will take the biggest toll.  You are trying to grow a life in your body while cancer is trying to steal your life all at the same time. I was completely focused on receiving treatment and it wasn't until the thousands and thousands of medical bills that started to come, I began to worry about the financial impact cancer would have on my life.  In one year, I had exhausted all my vacation and sick time offered by my employer that I had accumulated over the course of five years.  And with an extensive surgery that would prevent me from working for 4 weeks, I began to worry.  That's when I read about Dorothy Paredes and The Atrium Foundation.  This organization saw a gap and is impacting lives by closing that gap.  With The Atrium Foundation's financial assistance, I can focus on healing, rather than focusing on the amount of time I may have to go out of work unpaid.  I can channel my energy into healing my body and focus on beating cancer to spend many more years with my son!”