We Funded Jeanelle’s Dream
and This Is Her Story
Awareness Loop
Jeanelle shared her story with us honestly and openly, like many cancer warriors do when they reach out for support.
Jeanelle is 36 years old and lives in Newark, New Jersey. She was diagnosed at 33 with stage 3, grade 3 triple-negative breast cancer, after nearly two years of being misdiagnosed because she was considered “too young.”
Her treatment was long and intense: 23 rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, a double mastectomy, and continued care through a second-line clinical trial.
“Treatment saved me, but survivorship is something I am learning to survive.”
When treatment ended, Jeanelle faced the reality many survivors experience: the hospital visits stopped, but the physical and emotional challenges did not. Pain, neuropathy, anxiety, grief, and a changed relationship with her body became part of everyday life.
For Black women in the U.S., this reality is even more common. Black women are about 40% more likely to die from breast cancer, are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages, and are more often affected by aggressive subtypes like triple-negative breast cancer.
Survivorship care, wellness programs, mental health support, and safe movement, is often hardest to access in urban communities.
Jeanelle chose to respond by supporting others who were facing the same gap.
“I now serve other women walking this same road. I offer free survivor yoga, peer circles, and education about early symptoms and clinical trials, especially for young women and women of color in urban communities.”
She has done this work without funding or formal infrastructure.
“I do this without funding, using what little I have, because I know how lonely cancer becomes after the hospital doors close.”
When Jeanelle applied for a Dream Grant, she asked for help building something that could serve many warriors and survivors, a Survivorship Wellness Kit with yoga mats, blocks, straps, folding chairs, blankets, and basic equipment for guided sessions and education.
“These items would serve survivors who cannot afford studios or private care.”
Thanks to our community supporters and our partner GT Race Marbella, we were able to fund her Dream.
This is how one simple donation creates a ripple of impact. One act of support reaches beyond one person and strengthens an entire community.
Jeanelle closed her application with words that continue to guide her work:
“God didn’t set me back, He redirected me.”
What’s next
February applications are open for European cancer warriors. If you or someone you know needs support, please apply or share this with someone who might.
If you missed them, you can also read:
Every story is different. Every need is real.
One simple donation can create real ripple effects, just like it did for Jeanelle.If you’re able to, you can also donate to support the next cancer warrior’s dream or urgent need.
Thank you for helping us keep this going. 💜
With gratitude,
TCW team
