Izzy Family Room Coordinator

I live at home with my partner Seth, and our two children, Nolan who is 6 and Avery is 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island.  Prior to the pandemic, I worked in a busy restaurant and taught preschool in Somerset MA. After the birth of my daughter Avery, we decided staying home would work best for our family, so I embarked on being a stay-at-home mother.  In 2022 I decided to go back to school and earn a bachelor’s degree in social services. A few weeks into my first semester we had a very sudden diagnosis of neurofibromatosis for my son Nolan, also known as NF1. It is a genetic condition that causes our bodies to grow tumors on our nerve endings. We were thrown into a panic when we learned our son not only had a brain tumor, but gliomas on his optic pathways. With the reassurance of Dr. Lulla and his team at The Tomorrow Fund we began a chemotherapy treatment plan. Nonprofit has always been a passion of mine. After Nolan finished his treatments, and we received the news that he was stable, I knew I wanted to find my place in the pediatric cancer sector supporting families while their children are undergoing treatment.