Here at KW Cares, we’re blessed to hear the stories of KW Family members who have been touched by our grant programs. Michelle Dube, whose daughter has been battling cancer, is one such recipient. Below is her story, in her own words.
My name is Michelle Dube
Last year, my family’s reality was entirely upended. We had spent 3 months, in and out of doctors appointments and the ER, trying to find answers to the symptoms my 7 year old daughter had been exhibiting. It all came to a head on July 24, 2024. During another visit to the ER, the doctor helping us that night finally agreed to order a CT scan (we had previously been told it was unnecessary) and shortly after, we got the worst news imaginable. There was a mass at the back of her brain that was blocking the flow of her cerebral-spinal fluid. We were immediately transferred to Mass General down in Boston.
Since then, we’ve been through the ringer. And yet my daughter has maintained an amazingly positive attitude, which has been the driving factor in my ability to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Within 48 hours of the tumor being found, she had undergone two surgeries – one to relieve the pressure in her brain and another to remove the tumor. Following the tumor resection, she suffered a complication (called Posterior Fossa Syndrome) that resulted in her losing her ability to communicate (even through facial expressions), severely impacted her mobility, and also severely impacted her ability to regulate her emotions. She has worked INCREDIBLY hard, day in and day out, with physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists to get stronger – All while enduring 30 radiation treatments, followed by 9 cycles of chemotherapy.
We recently passed the one year mark since her diagnosis, and she has 2 cycles of chemo left. She has exceeded EVERY doctor’s expectation in terms of her recovery and progress from the Posterior Fossa Syndrome. All the while remaining the kind, empathetic, thoughtful, silly, quirky girl that she was before she was thrown into this impossible situation. She is without a doubt, the strongest, most incredible human I have ever met in my life, and I am in awe of her every single day.
Through all of this, I have known that I would do anything I could to make life easier for her in any way that I could. She has had to endure SO many hard, scary things. So as we struggled to find our new normal and make necessary adjustments for her quality of life, expenses began to pile up (on top of the medical bills. SO MANY medical bills). The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back was when the team I had helped to build for 7 years made the decision that the current limitations to my availability no longer aligned with their vision and they fired me.
For the first time in my life (and I am FULLY aware how blessed I am to be able to say this), I was financially stressed. I was, at times, unsure if I would have enough money in my account to be able to make my mortgage payment. At one point, my daughter started crying and told me that she was afraid that we were going to lose our house. I never actually missed a mortgage payment, but it was absolutely crushing to hear that she was concerned about that, on top of everything she was going through.
My market center’s leadership had talked to me several times about applying for a grant from KW Cares. I’ve always prided myself in my ability to be self-sufficient and pride is a really nasty feeling sometimes. I was finally at the point where I needed help though, so I started the process. At the same time, my OP connected me with another agent from our Market Center who was looking for an assistant and who was willing/able to be understanding of my current situation and the limitations that came along with it.
KW Cares approved a grant for my family a couple of weeks ago, and the relief it has provided can’t really be put into words. The grant that we received has literally lifted a weight off of me in a way that it feels like I can breathe again. Everything feels less dire and less hopeless. The funds from the grant have given me the space I desperately needed to continue focusing on my daughter for the last couple months of her treatments. It’s given me the space I needed to grieve the direction that I thought my career was heading in, accept my current time constraints, and make peace with the fact that when my daughter completes her treatment, I’ll have the opportunity to rebuild my career.
The grant money provided more than just a breath of financial stability – It provided a mental and emotional lifeline that I didn’t even know I needed.
I can’t put into words how grateful I am to the KW Cares organization. The experience was humbling in a way that was really difficult for me. Asking for help has never been something that I have done well. They assured me through every step of the process that it was nothing to be ashamed of. I’m honestly not sure I ever would have managed to complete the application without their support and encouragement. My entire adult career, 17 years, has been spent with Keller Williams, in various roles. I’ve always been a vocal advocate for the company, and the support that I have felt through this process, both from individuals that I have had long-standing relationships with and from those I have never met, has been unparalleled and confirmed what I have always known – That Keller Williams is my “home”.
How You Can Help
There is nothing more scary than having a sick child. We know the helplessness, and the medical bills, can be crushing. We want to help in any way we can.
If you know a KW associate like Michelle, please send them our information. We want to make sure they have what they need, and they can apply online at kwcares.org/grants.
