Our Story Started with a Sundae...

On October 24, 2020, (during the Covid-19 global pandemic) I had my first dance performance of the year with my school dance team. When we got home that night, my parents had my sister and I go to the kitchen. We were greeted by an ice cream sundae setup at the kitchen table, which was out of the normal for a school night. I thought it was to celebrate my performance. Nothing could have prepared me for the news that would change my life forever. “We have both good and bad news”, my mom said with tears in her eyes. “The good news is we know what’s wrong with dad since he had been dealing with lots of stomach issues the past few months. The bad news, is that he has stage four colorectal cancer.” 

At that moment, the world stopped and went still. The sweetness of the ice cream became bitter. I didn’t know what to think, say, or do. Navigating this new “normal” of living with a parent battling cancer was heartbreaking for our family. Despite this, our mom made it her mission to ensure we could still have sweet moments together.

Watching a movie in bed, having dinner as a family, singing songs and having dance parties in the living room - we celebrated each day and every moment we could. Our new  focus was on having quality time together as much as possible. By focusing on one day at a time and being on the journey as dad's cheerleaders we centered on positive thoughts as much as we could.

Guided by our mom’s mission, we have decided to give other families the opportunity to make the most out of their situations too. We hope that you will consider helping us to pay it forward - please donate today!

Together through Strength in Sundaes, we can find the sweetness in tomorrow.   

-Zoe