Stacy’s Nomination For Meadow’s Caregiver Spotlight

Dear reader,

I’ve recently met the most lovely woman through my journey with Meadow. We had been communicating for some time via email, but she encouraged me to come into her showroom to see some things for the brand. One thing led to the next in our conversation and it turns out she was already familiar with the PHASE ONE Foundation! For those of you who are new here (welcome!), the PHASE ONE Foundation funds clinical trials for cancer. My husband is a survivor of Stage 4 cancer, so our family’s efforts with this foundation are extremely personal and sentimental.

As I continued to chat with my new friend, we realized an even bigger coincidence: she had previously attended the PHASE ONE gala this past May! While we talked, I learned that her husband was recently diagnosed with a sarcoma, which is a type of tumor. Sharing our stories and bonding over caring for our husbands was incredibly painful yet equally rewarding — it felt like a necessary step of the healing process. It breaks my heart that someone is now living my same pain from 24 years ago, but there’s comfort in knowing that you’re not going through this experience alone.

Loving someone with cancer, or any debilitating disease, is so painful. I’ve mentioned before how hard it can be caring for someone who is ill. It’s more of a silent and lonely pain that only caregivers can understand. For this reason, I’ve chosen to nominate my new friend for Meadows’ Caregiver Contest. To respect her privacy, I’ve chosen to keep her identity anonymous but if she’s reading this I want her to know: you have my heart and I feel for you. As a new friend, I am here for you and sending prayers to your family.

Love,
Stacy

PS: Do you know someone who has a similar story? Is someone in your life currently going above and beyond to care for a sick loved one? Because February is National Caregivers Month, we want to take a moment to spotlight and thank all of the caregivers who dedicate so much of themselves to their loved ones. Be sure to nominate the extraordinary caregiver in your life here.