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\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Maria has been a hard working woman who just wants to take care of her children and have a roof over their heads.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Maria\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nurse navigator at Sharp Outpatient Pavilion Cancer Institute<\/p>\n Diagnosis: <\/strong>Stage III breast cancer (diagnosed 09\/2009)<\/p>\n Treatment: <\/strong>Mastectomy, lymph node removal, chemotherapy<\/p>\n Grant used for: <\/strong>Utility bills, communication bills, groceries<\/p>\n Maria Is a Hard-Working Mom of Six<\/strong><\/p>\n Before her cancer diagnosis in 2009, Maria worked hard cleaning houses and taking care of her six children along with her husband. Together, their income was just enough to cover expenses. The cancer came back in 2013, this time more aggressive than ever.<\/p>\n Maria Loses a Breast\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6and Her Husband\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Affection<\/strong><\/p>\n As a result, Maria had to undergo a partial mastectomy and lymph node removal (lymphadenectomy). Maria noticed that her husband\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s attitude changed toward her after she lost her left breast. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He lost his feelings for me, because I lost my breast,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Maria told us.<\/p>\n Another Relapse\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2015, Maria\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s cancer returned again, this time stage IIIC. She underwent another regiment of chemotherapy. The treatment left her with fatigue so severe that she could no longer work. She also suffered lymphedema, a painful swelling of the limbs, which is common after the removal of lymph nodes. This round of cancer also gave her one more burden to bear. After 23 years of marriage, her husband walked out on her and his family, leaving her to support her children, including a daughter with special needs.<\/p>\n Maria tells us, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He told me he was tired of living his life with someone he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t love anymore.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Without her husband, Maria now had no income. The bills are mounting quickly.<\/p>\n Not Enough Money for Birthday Presents\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sometimes my kids ask me if I will do something special for them for their birthday,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Maria wrote to us in her grant request application. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153[For] three years I haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been able to give them that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Additionally, she has not been able to buy equipment and uniforms so that her children can participate in sports at their school. She tells us that her twin daughters wish they could play rugby, one son wants to play football, and her youngest son, nine years old, has begged to play baseball.<\/p>\n Maria is seeking child support from her husband and currently struggling to keep her family afloat even as she finishes up her treatment.<\/p>\n An SOPFCA Grants Makes a Big Difference in Maria\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Life<\/strong><\/p>\n With the help of our donors, we were able to provide Maria with a grant to help cover some of her bills and relieve some of her financial distress. We hope that this 46-year-old mother recovers quickly from her treatments and that she will soon begin receiving the financial support from her husband that she and her children deserve.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Grant Recipient: Maria \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Maria has been a hard working woman who just wants to take care of her children and have a roof over their heads.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Maria\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nurse navigator […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-case-study"],"yoast_head":"\n