Selena is a caregiver to her mother, who was recently diagnosed with stage 3A colon cancer. Growing up in an African American and Jamaican English household, Selena never saw the care she provided as “caregiving”—it was simply expected of her as the eldest daughter....
When Jennifer’s mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Jennifer immediately recognized that she would take on the caregiving role. Caring for her mother felt like a natural extension of the care her parents had given her throughout her life. Because of the...
From Three Months to Four Years: A Caregiver’s Unexpected Path Four years ago, Derrick’s uncle had a serious fall and went into rehab. When he was discharged, he announced that he would be moving in with Derrick. What Derrick thought would be a temporary, three-month...
When Anita’s mother’s health started to decline, Anita retired early to provide her with personalized care. Anita’s mom is blind, has dementia, and is battling three types of cancer in different stages. Melanoma on the bottom of her foot has caused mobility issues and...
Nancy began caring for her husband about eight years ago when a routine blood test diagnosed him with early-stage blood cancer. The doctor informed Nancy’s husband that his best hope for longevity was a stem cell transplant, so he went on the waitlist. There was a lot...
Lorraine became the caregiver for her adult niece when she was diagnosed with liver cancer and then hepatic encephalopathy. Her niece’s daughter and ex-husband lived in different states, but Lorraine was only a few hundred miles away, so she traveled to be with her...
Abena’s husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2013, shortly after she became pregnant with their first child. Her husband lived with his tumor for a little over four years before passing away. Abena did almost everything for him, from managing his medication...
Maggie has been a caregiver for both her husband and her son, both of whom had blood cancer. While her husband was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014, her son was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2019 and ended up needing a bone marrow transplant....
Myra is a care partner to her husband, who was diagnosed with lung cancer about a year ago. She and her husband are a team, so Myra never questioned that she would be the one helping with his care. She’s also never considered the term “caregiver” to apply to her,...
In 2016, Allen and his wife adopted three sibling sisters from India and began the process of building a loving home. Tragedy struck in 2018 when Allen’s wife discovered that she had Stage IV cancer. Sadly, after a short but “hard shot” battle, she passed away in...
Melanie is a member of the Millie Lacs Band of Ojibwe in the Minnesota region. Previously, she cared for her mother, who had dementia and related health conditions, and her sister, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Currently, she cares for her brother, who has...
Gina cares for four people in total: two of her five children and both of her parents. Gina has a 14-year-old son with undiagnosed schizophrenia and diabetes, an 11-year-old son with autism, a father with heart disease, and a mother recovering from a brain tumor....
Harold was a primary caregiver for his mother, who was diagnosed with chronic adult leukemia. His mother’s care consisted of an extensive support system including Harold’s boyfriend, sister, father and a series of home health aides. Significantly, Harold had...
Martha is the care partner to her wife, who was diagnosed in late 2016 with stage 4 metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. At the initial diagnosis, the resources provided to Martha by the medical team as a care partner were minimal. Martha, who is a licensed clinical social...
Paurvi was a caregiver for both her mother and her father. While her father had Alzheimer’s, her mom had many conditions, including lung disease that turned into lung cancer, which originated from cervical cancer. Paurvi’s parents immigrated from India, and being...
Pierre is caring for his wife, who was diagnosed with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer. This diagnosis came as a shock because Pierre’s wife has no known risk factors for lung cancer. Because Pierre was a physician and had his wife’s permission to speak with...
Caring for both her two-year-old and her husband, while maintaining full-time work as an attorney, was the hardest thing Whitney ever had to do, and she constantly battled with whether she was providing enough care and attention to each of them. Whitney cared for her...
Beth’s husband was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016. He had surgery immediately upon diagnosis and, due to some complications, remained in the hospital for three weeks, where Beth stayed with him the entire time. Her husband eventually went into remission but...
Laura spent two years caring for her husband, who was diagnosed with stage IV neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer. They proceeded with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to close off blood vessels in his liver that were feeding the cancer. Her husband then underwent an...
National Alliance for Caregiving
1730 Rhode Island Ave. NW
Suite #812
Washington, D.C. 20036
