Grant Recipient: Rachelle

I so appreciate any help you can give my family in such a scary and stressful time.

Diagnosis: Stage II Breast Cancer A

Treatment: Mastectomy, Chemotherapy, Radiation

Grant used for:  Housing and Utilities

A Happy Family… And Then, Breast Cancer

Rachelle is a positive and vivacious woman who loves being a mother to her “wonderful and wild” five-year-old son as well as a self-employed business owner. The 40-year-old esthetician also recently celebrated her 19^th wedding anniversary with her husband.

Everything was going right in Rachelle’s life. Then, the doctors told her she had breast cancer. In a whirlwind of appointments and tests, she made the decision to undergo a mastectomy with chemotherapy to follow and the possibility of radiation therapy afterwards.

With so much treatment on the horizon, Rachelle made the difficult decision to close her business, at least temporarily.

The Loss of Income Is About More Than Money

Money represents security, but it can also mean independence. Rachelle was always proud of the fact that her work as an esthetician helped her clients improve their skin and brought in extra money for her family. Her income also gave her personal spending money. In deciding to press pause on her business, she lost her personal income and the financial contribution she made to her family.

As a self-employed business owner, Rachelle also doesn’t qualify for disability income, so the loss of her earnings has put a financial strain on her family, as her husband is now the sole breadwinner. They must find a way to make less money go further.

Rachelle looks forward to the day she can restart her business, but in the meantime, we at SOPFCA were excited to offer her a grant, which will help cover her housing costs and utility payments. We want Rachelle to focus on getting her treatments so that she can go back into business in the near future.