After finishing the school year, Jennifer was looking forward to summer vacation. Her job as a special ed preschool teacher was demanding and it had been a busy year. After a couple of weeks, she noticed that she wasn't bouncing back like she usually did. She thought she'd give it a couple more weeks and then she'd be ready for summer. It must have been a harder year than she realized, but that wasn't the case. At the end of June, she felt a large mass in her abdomen. Further tests revealed the worst.....CANCER.
Jennifer was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer (pNET.) She had had a tumor removed from her pancreas 4 years earlier, but the surgeon gave her a clean bill of health. She later found out that she should have had yearly follow-up scans which would have caught the cancer earlier.
With life turned upside down, Jennifer made the gut wrenching decision to stop teaching preschool which had become her dream job. After years of teaching and caring for others, it was time for her to focus on her own health. Everyone rallied around and her parents moved closer to be able to help. Expenses were cut back and life took on a whole new look.
By December, Jennifer had transferred to an amazing NET specialist at Huntsman Cancer Institute. She started treatment which consisted of 12 months of chemo and monthly shots.
With chemo starting and Christmas approaching, Jennifer wanted/needed handmade presents for her family. This is when she made her first 3D shadow box. Her children loved the designs chosen specifically for them. She gave her parents their "December" shadow box with the promise of one shadow box each month for the coming year.
By April, Jennifer's mom, Marianne, was too excited to wait the whole year and quickly learned how to make the remaining 3D shadow boxes. She filled the rest of the spots on her dining room wall and both were proud of the beautiful artwork they had created. Friends and family came to visit and would comment on how beautiful the pictures were.
Jennifer and Marianne mulled over the idea of making and selling the 3D shadow boxes for several months. It just wasn't the right time. Some months the side effects of chemo were quite intense, but scans showed that the tumors were shrinking. After the midway point, Jennifer's health started to improve as the side effects were better managed. The last couple of months, she even felt like her pre-cancer self when she used to dance and play with the preschoolers all day.
As chemo came to an end, they decided to open their online shop and got to work designing and creating. Known for her elaborate preschool lessons and activities, selling 3D shadow boxes was definitely going to be an over the top production as well. Jennifer took on design changes, branding and setting up their online shop. Marianne worked on cutting, assembly and taking photographs. Both are excited to share their custom made shadow box pictures with friends and family near and far.
Jennifer decided that a portion of the proceeds would be donated to Huntsman Cancer Institute to fund further research for neuroendocrine cancer and all types of cancer that impact the lives of millions like Jennifer. The doctors at Huntsman are experts in their fields and will forever hold a special place in her life.
