There Is Always Hope: Sara Kipp’s Story

Before cancer, Sara Kipp’s life was full, busy, and centered around caring for others.

She worked full time as a Patient Care Tech on a maternal-fetal unit, helping new mothers and babies during some of life’s most tender first moments. At home, she and her husband, Josh, were raising their three children: Olivia, Owen, and Emelia. Because Josh lives with epilepsy and is unable to drive, Sara carried much of the family’s daily responsibility. She was the primary breadwinner, the main driver, and the one making sure appointments, errands, school schedules, and family needs were met.

“Looking back,” Sara shared, “our family had fun and we kept ourselves well sustained, by the grace of God.”

Then, after a fall, everything changed.

Sara broke her back, an injury that raised immediate questions. As a relatively healthy 36-year-old, she should not have fractured her L5 vertebra from a fall. Doctors ordered scans, bloodwork, and additional tests. Those tests revealed lesions in her spine, which led to more testing.

Sara learned she had breast cancer through a voicemail on her cell phone while she was at work. On June 12, 2025, she was officially diagnosed with De Novo Stage IV invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer.

Her journey quickly became complicated. Before cancer treatment could move forward, Sara needed surgery to repair her back. Her injury happened in April, her diagnosis came in June, and her back surgery took place at the end of July. She later had her ovaries removed and needed physical rehabilitation. She also faced multiple hospitalizations for pneumonia.

Emotionally, Sara said she felt “sad, angry, frustrated, and more.” Financially, the strain began when she could no longer work. With surgeries, recovery, hospitalizations, and the loss of employment, the family’s stability was shaken.

And like so many families facing cancer, the impact reached far beyond medical appointments and treatment plans.

Sara’s family has had to adjust nearly every part of daily life. Sara’s mother is caring for her in her home. Her mother-in-law is helping care for Sara and Josh’s youngest child, who is not yet in school. Their two older children remain at home with their father. Josh continues to work, but because he cannot drive and Sara is no longer able to provide transportation, he must rely on the Bus and Uber to get to and from work. That added expense has become one more financial burden on a family already carrying so much.

Through it all, Sara’s family has surrounded her, Josh, and their children with love and support, helping create as much stability as possible during an uncertain and deeply difficult time.

That is when Vickie’s Angel Foundation became part of Sara’s story.

Sara had known of Vickie’s Angel Foundation because she lives in New Cumberland and often drove past the office on her way to work. But she did not know exactly what the foundation did until her sister-in-law reached out on her behalf.

“I was so overwhelmed by my current circumstances,” Sara said. “I am forever grateful to her for taking that step for me.”

Over the months that followed, Vickie’s Angel Foundation helped Sara and her family by paying various bills. For a family facing cancer, lost income, increased transportation costs, and separation from their normal routines, that support meant more than dollars. It brought relief.

“The immediate effect was that it helped to relieve stress, which in turn helped our family be less anxious overall,” Sara shared.

One moment stands out most: Vickie’s Angel Foundation helped with the family’s mortgage.

“With that paid, a huge burden was taken off our plate,” Sara said. “The relief I felt that it was paid and we wouldn’t potentially be homeless on top of it all, was enormous.”

For Sara, that help represented the heart of Vickie’s Angel Foundation: stepping in when a family is facing one of the lowest, most frightening moments of their lives.

“The whole idea behind VAF is something that brings me awe as well,” she said. “Helping someone in need when they are at one of their lowest points in life is one of the more selfless things someone can choose to do.”

Sara’s diagnosis has changed the way she sees life. At first, she felt numb. Then fear settled in. She worried about falling asleep and not waking up. She feared missing the milestones of her children’s lives, from school years to relationships, marriage, and grandchildren.

But over time, her outlook began to shift.

She moved from fear and anxiety toward gratitude for each new day. Her faith, her husband, her children, and the love surrounding her continue to motivate her, especially on the hardest days.

“My faith in God brings me reassurance and delight,” Sara said. “My children bring me joy and lots of hugs and snuggles.”

Olivia, Owen, and Emelia often try to “cheer mommy up” or “make mommy feel better” with hugs, play, and little shows they put on just for her. When asked what hope means in her journey, Sara described hope as the ability to begin each day believing that even when things are difficult, they can still get better.

“By human standards, my situation is hopeless,” she said. “By God’s standards, it is hopeful. There is always a reason to hope, you just have to find it.”

That is what Sara hopes others will take away from her story.

“No matter how bad it gets, there is always hope, faith, and love,” she said. “People will help you, despite what the world will tell you.”

For Sara and her family, Vickie’s Angel Foundation was one of those helpers. Because of generous donors, the foundation was able to provide a financial bridge during a time of fear, treatment, recovery, and uncertainty.

And for Sara, that support will not be forgotten.

“The gratitude and love we have felt by the financial support you have given will be felt for a long time.”

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.

For many years, Charity Navigator has consistently rated us a four-star charity. As the foremost nonprofit evaluator globally, Charity Navigator has scrutinized close to 200,000 charities, evaluating their financial stability, commitment to best practices, as well as their accountability, transparency, and impact. Check out our profile here.