Joanna’s personal story
I was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma that had metastasized into my left groin nodes. I had a WLE and then a CLND dissection of my groin nodes. After surgeries, I went through a year of interferon treatment at UPenn in Philadelphia.
I was diagnosed at 34 with 4 young kids. Their ages were 18 months, 3, 5 and 7. It has changed everything about our lives. I have started a non-profit to encourage and support others in their cancer diagnosis, along with finding support for caregivers. Although the rug was pulled out from under us, cancer has brought a new perspective on life that we are grateful for.