Allysa was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer while twenty-seven weeks pregnant. At first, she and her husband Chris thought it was discomfort related to the pregnancy, but as the pain levels increased from intolerable to excruciating the couple sought medical expertise from Northwestern hospital in downtown Chicago. Frightened and worried for their unborn baby, Allysa and her husband did their best to hold onto faith. “I was shocked and scared that the cancer would destroy our lives,” said Allysa. “I just couldn’t believe this was happening to us and we weren’t sure what to expect.”
A few months into treatment Allysa and Chris learned about Wellness House. While Allyssa joined the colon cancer support group, Chris was able to join a caregiver support group, which he felt made all the difference. “When cancer happens to you, you feel pretty alone, and you feel like no one can relate to you,” said Chris. “But, the caregiver group at Wellness House was such a magical experience because it was filled with supportive people who understood what we were going through.” Alyssa and Chris attended Wellness House support groups and counseling sessions for two years and would recommend it to any family who is going through cancer. “I could tell there was a difference in both of us after we started going to Wellness House,” said Alyssa. “It was hard for me to join a lot of times because I had a baby to take care of, but when I did make it I f
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