Before her diagnosis, life was filled with simple joys, spending time with family and friends, working at her longtime job, and praising God in church. A natural homebody, she loved curling up at home with a good book or her favorite shows, finding comfort in laughter and the warmth of loved ones.
That all shifted in early 2025. While showering, she noticed a lump and began having difficulty closing her right arm fully. Her primary doctor initially dismissed it as a fibroid, but she felt led to seek a second opinion from Dr. Sharee Livingston. That decision changed everything. On February 14, 2025, Valentine’s Day, she was diagnosed with grade 3, stage 2b triple-negative breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma.
At just 28 years old, she was preparing for the fight of her life.
Facing the Diagnosis
The weight of the diagnosis hit hard. A two-time suicide survivor, she had fought long and hard to reclaim her life from depression and suicidal thoughts. Hearing the words “you have cancer” felt like her life was being stolen again. She gave herself 48 hours to cry, pray, and prepare for what was ahead. Then she made a promise: she would fight with everything she had.
That fight meant facing new challenges. She needed eight cycles of chemotherapy, which forced her to cut her work schedule from full-time to just one or two days a week. Bills piled up quickly, and the financial burden added to the strain. But she held tight to faith, saying, “With a lot of water and prayer, I would squeeze in another workday. God was always on time.”
Finding Vickie’s Angel Foundation
It was her social worker, Jennie Lawler, who told her about Vickie’s Angel Foundation. At first, she was hesitant to reach out. Pride and guilt made her feel like others had it worse, mothers, grandmothers, families with children. But with rent overdue and her bank account in the negative, she made the call.
That decision brought a wave of relief.
“VAF stepped in and became a foundation that I will forever be grateful for,” she shared. “They helped me take the financial burden off my shoulders so I could focus on staying healthy and beating cancer. A bill never went unpaid. A rent payment was made without hesitation. I never lacked a meal. The day I spoke to Mickey Minnich and the committee, I knew it was God doing his work.”
Hope, Faith, and a New Perspective
Through it all, her faith remained the cornerstone of her journey. She said that getting breast cancer was, in many ways, the best thing that ever happened to her.
“My walk with Christ strengthened me. I learned how important it is to smile and be kind. At the infusion center, you have a choice: to be sad and question God, or to put your faith in His healing power and make the best of it. My faith kept me in the ring, my faith kept me grounded, and my faith got me through chemotherapy with pure joy and happiness.”
Her younger sister Ashley was also a source of strength. Through laughter, encouragement, and constant support, Ashley reminded her why she needed to keep fighting. “It’s always been me and my younger sister getting through life together. I had to be here for her,” she said.
Cancer changed her outlook on life. She now sees each day as a gift. “I learned that I am more than my hair, more than an employee, more than a sister or friend. I was able to rest without guilt, to see how precious life really is, and to understand that even a smile can change someone’s day.”
Giving Back
Gratitude inspired her to give back. As a member of her workplace’s social committee, she helped organize a Spirit Week fundraiser with proceeds supporting Vickie’s Angel Foundation. For her, it was a way to pay it forward and ensure other families in need could receive the same support.
A Message of Hope
Her journey has been marked by immense challenges, three stillbirths, two suicide attempts, and now surviving aggressive breast cancer. But she stands as a living testimony to resilience, faith, and the power of hope.
“I want people to know that God is always on time. No matter what life throws at you, always smile. Storms may come, but there is always light on the other side. Your journey may not always be for you; it may be to inspire someone else. Lean on your faith, take the trip, do something uncomfortable, walk by the water and see how beautiful life is. Life is truly a gift, and even when you feel alone, know that someone is fighting with you.”
Vickie’s Angel Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing a temporary financial bridge to help families battling cancer. We provide financial support for essential, non-medical needs such as rent, mortgage payment, utilities, transportation, and food. The foundation operates in an effort to remove the toxic stress of unpaid bills so the individual and their family can focus on their health. Through community-driven fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and generous individual donations, Vickie’s Angel Foundation ensures that 100% of donations directly support families in need. Guided by the values of love, faith, and hope, the foundation has touched thousands of lives by offering not only financial relief but also compassion and encouragement during some of life’s most difficult moments.
In order to give 100% to those in need, we are supported by Guardian Angels.
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