Additional Coverage:
- I lost my job and was diagnosed with cancer within months. With 8 kids, I had no choice but to keep going. (businessinsider.com)
Local Mom Faces Job Loss, Cancer, and Financial Strain While Raising Eight Kids
[City, State] – Life can throw some serious curveballs, and for one local mom of eight, those curveballs came in rapid succession. In September 2024, she was laid off from her software development job. Just months later, at the age of 37, she received a devastating diagnosis: lymphoma.
The initial job loss was a significant blow, cutting the household income in half for a family with eight children ranging from 4 to 19 years old. “I told myself we’d be OK,” she recounted.
“I thought it would be easy to find another job. We’d tighten our belts.
Then I got sick.”
From Flu to Cancer: A Misleading Path
After the Christmas holidays, she began feeling unwell, experiencing a six-week bout of the flu followed by shingles. Attributing her symptoms to stress, she dismissed the persistent feeling of being “off.”
However, things took a serious turn in late March when she discovered a grape-sized lump in her groin overnight. Believing it to be a pulled muscle from the gym, she waited a month before seeing a doctor. The doctor suspected an inguinal hernia and referred her to a surgeon.
During the waiting period, the lump rapidly grew to the size of a plum, making walking increasingly difficult and painful. On May 4th, the pain became unbearable, leading her to the emergency room.
A Life-Altering Diagnosis
The ER doctor delivered the chilling news: it wasn’t a hernia, but rather several swollen lymph nodes. The “C” word – cancer – was spoken. She spent that night alone in the hospital, convinced her life was ending, her thoughts consumed by her husband and eight children.
The challenges continued upon her return home. In a cruel twist of fate, their car was repossessed in the driveway due to overdue payments, and she temporarily lost her hospital medications.
“That moment hit so hard,” she shared. “The job loss, the diagnosis, the financial freefall.
It felt like the absolute bottom.”
Fighting for Her Life and Family
May became a whirlwind of medical appointments, mapping the spread of the cancer. A biopsy confirmed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.
Chemotherapy began on June 5th, with the daunting task of undergoing treatment while still caring for eight children. Her husband became her rock, juggling full-time work with managing the household during her active treatment.
The Hardest Part: Asking for Help
Swallowing their pride, the family turned to every available resource, including food banks and school district assistance programs. “For someone who had always worked and provided, it felt like a failure at first,” she admitted. “I realized that these safety nets are put in place for those who truly need assistance.”
On September 18th, 2025, she rang the bell, signifying the end of her cancer treatment. A PET scan on October 21st confirmed no evidence of disease.
Reflecting on the past year, she acknowledges a profound transformation. “I’m not the same person I was in September 2024.” She emphasizes the importance of taking “stress” symptoms seriously, recognizing that pride can be a barrier to seeking necessary help, and the surprising resilience of children.
Her experience serves as a stark reminder that even with diligence and hard work, life can change drastically in an instant, whether due to a job loss or a serious diagnosis.