Hi! I’m Aryn Everts. On October 15, 2021 I was diagnosed with Stage 1B IDC, more simply put, Breast cancer.  Immediately I was inundated with Surgeon appointments, more tests, oncology visits, care packages from various organizations, invitations to virtual support groups, calls from Nurse Navigators, and Social workers, and had what felt like a truckload of very confusing information thrown at me all in a short time.  I remember feeling overwhelmed, but I was grateful for all the support, people who had been there, right where I was standing, all at the ready and willing to help me through it.

Throughout all this I noticed one huge thing, there was all this support, all this help for me, but when it came to resources, care packs, information on helping my husband and kids through their journeys, (Let's be real they were going through their own, but different journeys with my cancer right along with me) there was next to nothing.  A couple pamphlets with links to virtual support groups, a few storybooks to help the kids understand what was happening, a local day camp my oldest could maybe attend in the summer, but that was all.  One night, around Thanksgiving 2021, Matt, my Husband, and I were talking about this, and decided that we were going to do something about it.

When someone in your household receives a cancer diagnosis, everyone begins their own journey.  There are a million questions, things change really quickly, and it gets scary and confusing.  Especially for the kids!  Our goal with the Everts Foundation is to provide every household member with comfort, and support, in those early and confusing days. One of the most helpful things that I received in those early days was the care packs, unexpected boxes of love and comfort. Our goal is to provide patients and families with cozy comfort, and maybe a little distraction, through care packages for the whole family, fostering connections with other families who have been through this journey, so not one member of your household ever feels alone.