Meet Our Moms

The wish of Teresa:

“The wish I’ve been dreaming of is to plant an orchard for my family that will help sustain them and hopefully their future children for many many years to come. We live on the slopes of Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii, planting and orchard isn’t as simple as digging a hole and placing a tree. We live on lava rock and the area needs to be prepped with mulch and cinder. But we live in a beautiful Mediterranean climate that will allow trees, with proper preparation, to flourish. I hope to use my wish to prep the orchard and to populate it with a variety of fruit trees.

Here is a recent picture of me and my family at a local “flannel fest” we attended this fall.”

Sarah was diagnosed in October 2017 with stage IV metastatic breast cancer. She is a mom to her beautiful 10-year-old daughter Charlie who is her whole world. Sarah has made it a point to make sure the time they have together is nothing short of amazing. Sarah and Charlie were able to go to Disney Land in October 2022!! They had an absolute blast and made memories neither of them will ever forget.

Adrienne was diagnosed with DCIS, a non-invasive form of breast cancer, in 2018. She was considered disease-free after a mastectomy, but the cancer had metastasized to her liver, lymph nodes, bones and brain and now is considered to have very advanced Stage IV breast cancer. She was recently able to travel to Disney World with her husband and 2 children!! They had the time of their lives! We were able to grant her in November 2022.

Amy is a 1st grade teacher who lives in Cleburne, Texas with her 18 year old daughter and husband. In 2019 she went to the ER after a fall with back pain. She discovered she had collapsed/broken vertebrae with cancer in her bones – diagnosis stage 4 ER/PR+ HER2 invasive ductal carcinoma that had metastasized to her bones.

Amy’s WISH was to get away with her family and make memories and not think about cancer. Ally’s Wish granted Amy and her family a trip to Wyoming this past summer! They enjoyed horseback riding, river rafting and exploring national parks such as Yellowstone and Grand Tetons!

While on her trip, Amy said “I stood at 10,450 feet elevation, took a deep breath, took in the awe of all God created, and said thank you for these 2 beside me. Thank you Ally’s Wish for giving us this unbelievable opportunity.”

Loretta is a 39 year old single mom of 3 who lives in Oregon. Her precious girls are ages 10, 11 & 12. Loretta was 1 year shy of earning her Masters Degree to be a Special Education teacher when cancer entered her life in 2019. She had to withdraw from school and quit her job to undergo treatment. Loretta has triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma that has spread to her hip, spine, chest wall, abdomen, lungs, ribs and sternum.

Loretta’s WISH was to take her girls to Disneyland and on an airplane! Both a first for them all! She wishes for time to just make memories – no doctors, just fun, family and fellowship!

Ally’s Wish made the trip happen for them in October 2022! The girls were so excited to ride on an airplane and wear their matching shirts and ears! They were spoiled every step of the way with gifts upon arrival at the hotel to surprise passes to sold out attractions!

Loretta said “I don’t know how much time I have left on this earth, but I want you to know how grateful I am for this trip to Disneyland with my family! This was a huge blessing to our family – Thank you! Thank You! Thank you! I can’t say it enough”

Upon return from Disneyland, Loretta went straight to the ER. She is now home with her family under Hospice care.

In May 2022, Joann and her family were granted a wish to Destin, FL. Joann was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. A vacation to the beach provided a sweet time to be together with family. Joann wrote to say, “Thank you Ally’s Wish for making this vacation a reality for my Family. We are very much appreciative. God bless.”

After first being diagnosed in 2006 with Stage II Breast Cancer the day after my son’s 1st birthday, I didn’t know what the future had in store. After treatment had follow-up appointments and continued living life as a breast cancer survivor. When I was diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer (spread to my bones) in July 2019, I was absolutely devastated. When Ally’s Wish contacted me I was unsure on whether to accept this generous gift because I have been doing really well. I had a better grasp of not only the struggles of my diagnosis but also the gift of the perspective of living life to the fullest.

Ally’s Wish gave my son (Ethan) and I the gift of travel, adventure, and time in Hawaii. We left on December 19 and returned on Christmas Day. The hotel was absolutely wonderful and was just across the street from the ocean. We enjoyed an all day tour of the island, rented a Jeep to go to various beaches, enjoyed local shopping, and ended the week at a Luau. Ethan and I enjoyed breakfast overseeing the ocean each and every morning. All of the food was phenomenal! We had a nice balance between adventure and just relaxing and enjoying the beauty of Hawaii.

I am so thankful for the generosity of this gift. I am blessed to have a treatment plan that has allowed me to live with Metastatic Breast Cancer. I am thankful to have been given this gift at a time that I am feeling healthy. While I hope to have many years ahead of me, I know that there is currently no cure for my cancer, however it can be treated and managed. This trip gave Ethan and I the gift of time along with memories to last a lifetime.

Cory was mom to a busy family of 5, her husband David, 16 year old daughter, Maddy, 12 year old son, Evan, and 6 year old daughter Charlotte. Her kids were her motivation. She wanted her kids to remember a happy childhood, not one that is filled with worry and fear. Cory enjoyed making memories with her family. They were able to enjoy a trip to Florida with family before she lost her battle with stage IV breast cancer.

Our cruise was absolutely amazing! We loved every part of it and even got to meet another Ally’s Wish participant! I know we will cherish the memories we made and we are so grateful for Ally’s Wish for making the trip possible.

With gratitude,
Jacquelyn

Shannon was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2016. She had to quit her job as a bus driver due to the tumor in her spine. According to Shannon, her wish was an easy decision. She picked the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to spend some quality time with her husband and 2 children. They stayed in a beautiful cabin in Pigeon Forge and planned some fun days at Dollywood.

Maureen is a wife and a mother of 3. She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and metastatic breast cancer in 2012. She has a daughter in nursing school studying to be an oncology nurse, a son who just left for college, and a 14 year old son. Her wish was to take a vacation together as a family which they did not think was possible. They went to the Dominican Republic in August of 2018. Maureen loved the time away!