Dear Love Bus Supporters,
As this year comes to a close, we want to share how your support has changed our lives. You may not know us, but because of you—and because of Lucy’s Love Bus—we’re able to look toward the future with hope.
My name is Donald – and my story with cancer began during my junior year of high school.
I spent most of my teenage years as a pretty normal high school kid. At 17, everything changed very quickly. One day I was at soccer practice, and the next, I was in overnight emergency surgery to remove a tumor from my spine. I was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, and my life instantly shifted from school and sports to hospitals and survival.
The months that followed were a blur of hospitals, tests, and treatments — fourteen rounds of chemotherapy and five weeks of daily radiation. And to start it all off, I was asked to make a choice that no 17-year-old should have to make: whether or not I wanted to have children someday. I had barely recovered from surgery and had only a few hours before my first round of chemo. I hadn't thought that far ahead yet, but I realized how important it was to preserve the possibility of a family in the future. It was a strange thing to think about at 17, but it gave me something to hold onto. It gave me hope that there could still be a “someday.”
When treatment ended, life didn’t just return to normal. I had survived, but I didn’t quite know what came next. I tried college, but it didn’t feel like the right fit. I needed space — to be outside, to feel free again. So, I moved to Vermont and then Colorado, playing in the snow and teaching kids how to snowboard, which I loved. Eventually I moved back to Massachusetts, and reconnected with Rachel. We had known each other from high school, but reconnecting as adults was different. We learned who we were now — not just who we had been.
Rachel’s story picks up there.
When Donald and I reconnected in 2021, we were both in new chapters. I had gone back to school while working full-time and graduated as valedictorian. Today, I’m a respiratory therapist at Mass General Hospital, and Donald works in an elementary school helping kids in crisis. We love to travel, try new foods, and spend time with our rescue dog, Lars. Before my graduation this spring, Donald proposed— both our families were there to celebrate! We’re planning our wedding for 2027, but before that, we’re focused on something even more important: starting a family.
Because of Donald’s cancer treatment, that journey hasn’t been simple. But through every step, Lucy’s Love Bus has been there—just as they have been for Donald since he finished treatment fifteen years ago.
For all those years, Love Bus has quietly covered the annual cost of storing Donald’s preserved fertility samples. It might sound like a small thing, but to us, it’s enormous. It meant his choice—his future—wasn’t taken away. And now that we’re beginning fertility treatments, Love Bus has continued to show up. When we ran into roadblocks, they helped us track down records, made phone calls, and guided us through the process. Every time we felt lost or stuck, someone from Love Bus reminded us that we weren’t alone.
That’s what makes Lucy’s Love Bus so special. Their care doesn’t end when treatment ends. They’re there for the long haul—for survivors rebuilding their lives, and for families like ours who are trying to build new ones.
Because of Love Bus, and because of donors like you, we have hope, options, and a promise that has always been kept. We have the chance to imagine the future we dreamed of years ago.
As you consider your year-end giving, please know that your donation has a real, lasting impact. You’re not just helping kids get through cancer—you’re helping them live beyond it. You’re protecting futures, preserving choices, and giving families like ours the chance to grow.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for caring. Thank you for showing up. And thank you for helping Love Bus continue this work for the next family who needs them.
With love and deep gratitude,
Rachel & Donald
