What happened, in summary

Angie Brice Hessbruegge was 37 and raising 2 young children when she was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in May 2019. She had never smoked. Her daughter was 6 and her son was 4, and Angie quickly learned that cancer affected the whole household. She spoke honestly with the children, reassuring her daughter that a cold had not caused the cancer and explaining that chemotherapy was medicine intended to help her.

The family used individual counseling, couples counseling, and art therapy for the children to process fear and uncertainty. Angie tried to stay present for birthdays and everyday parenting, even as treatment disrupted family plans. When both children’s birthdays fell on her usual Wednesday chemotherapy day, she moved treatment to Thursday for her daughter. Late on the birthday, Angie developed gastrointestinal symptoms, hot flashes, fever, cold sweats, and severe weakness. At the clinic the next day, her temperature was 104 and her blood pressure was dangerously low, so chemotherapy was held while the team evaluated a likely infection.

Angie continued balancing treatment with difficult conversations about death, parenting, faith, and hope. Some days brought grief and fear; on others she drew strength from science, long-term survivor stories, and her children’s ability to live one day at a time. She also co-created a podcast with another mother living with cancer to discuss raising children during treatment.