A young mother from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Jasmine Xiong was raising her infant son, Emerson, when she received the devastating diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer.
While most people would have put their dreams on hold, Jasmine refused to give up. Even as she endured chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and countless hospital visits, she continued working toward becoming a registered nurse. Last year, while still in the middle of her cancer treatment, she graduated from nursing school.
The physical toll of treatment eventually forced Jasmine to step away from work, leaving her to navigate not only the fight for her life, but also the financial burden of cancer while raising a young son. Medical bills, hospital expenses, travel for treatment, and everyday living costs quickly became overwhelming.
Cancer didn’t just affect Jasmine – it affected her entire family. While fighting her own diagnosis, she mourned the loss of her father to cancer and stood beside her brother through his own battle with the disease. Even through heartbreak, Jasmine refused to let cancer define her future.
Today, Jasmine is in remission and has begun the career she worked so hard to achieve, serving as a pediatric nurse on the night shift. Every shift, she cares for children and families facing some of the hardest moments of their lives – a perspective shaped by her own journey. Throughout it all, her mother has been a constant source of strength, helping Jasmine and Emerson every step of the way.
This past week, we had the privilege of surprising Jasmine, Emerson, and her mother at the hospital to let them know she had been selected as a recipient of this year’s L.I.F.E. Survivorship Grant.
Because of the generosity of everyone who has supported L.I.F.E. over the past year, Jasmine can focus a little less on catching up financially and a little more on building the future she fought so hard to create for herself and her son.
Thank you to every person who donated. Your kindness isn’t just funding a grant – it’s helping a young mother, a cancer survivor, and a dedicated pediatric nurse get back on her feet so she can continue doing what she’s always wanted to do: care for others.