Survivor Stories

My name is Tabatha K. Smith, and I am a mother, sister, daughter, friend, neighbor, mentor, coach and a breast cancer warrior.  I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and I was no longer able to work and provide financially for my family due to fighting this serious illness.

A True Blessing came to me after being diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer called Stretch the Ride. Stretch the Ride made and has been a Positive Impact in my life by Being there Supporting Me financially when I needed them the most. We never remember days only moments the moment I remember is when I was connected to a great resource Stretch the ride “a great organization”!They were able to help me in my time of need To keep a roof over our heads, food on the table ,our basic needs were met. the best part of Stretch the ride is, they are, and were a bridge to our hardship in a quick and easy process that doesn’t require anything just me having enough courage to say that I needed help there were no lengthy application forms or interviews. I can’t express the emotional and financial impact cancer has had on my family and I especially with me being the only source of income in my household. I felt Helpless and There’s only one four letter word that comes to mind when I think about the help We received and that is L. O. V. E. Love can make bad things Good. The Real and true definition of Love is to Help someone when they need it.  Stretch the ride stepped in and made me feel whole when I was hopeless. 

They gave me a safe space while I was so stressed fighting for my life, a peace of mind which has allowed and given me the opportunity to focus on my healing and that gave me my second chance of life! 

I was Blessed to have a great resource available to me in the community in my desperate time of need. I’m truly grateful for this organization! They took care of me like family.

Thank you Stretch the Ride for giving me hope and a future and being apart of my journey back to full health.

A cancer diagnosis has physical and emotional effects that are evident. A patient experiences exhaustion and weakness, a caretaker feels helplessness and uncertainty. There are tears and fears and then determination- to fight, to survive, to learn, to live more fully. A significant impact of cancer that doesn’t strike a patient and her family with the same immediacy but is altogether as debilitating is the financial element of the disease and its treatment.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in September of 2024. The diagnosis was a shock. My treatments began promptly, and I discovered it was necessary to spend the week following chemotherapy limiting my outings and sleeping as much as possible. I was plagued by nausea and aches. Not surprisingly, my physical symptoms were accompanied by emotional ones. I lamented the time I forfeited with my family while sleeping the afternoons away. I worried about the burdens I placed on my husband and our extended families. I was determined to fill my good days with adventure and laughter, to learn from the experience, and to work for a cure. Finding the mental fortitude was difficult, but I was certain doing so would help me to heal and inspire the people I most love.

What I did not anticipate was the overwhelming financial impact of cancer. My husband and I paid a great deal into our insurance each month, we worked hard, and by all standards, we had a terrific health plan. And then we began receiving bills: $100 for a doctor visit (I did dozens to get an opinion, a second opinion, and then a plan for treatment), $300 for a test I assumed would be covered, $8000 for one surgery, $6000 for another, and $500 or more for each chemotherapy session. I scoured the bills assuming our insurance provider misunderstood the services I needed and would pay once we cleared up the confusion. Unfortunately, I got an education in insurance, in deductibles and copays, coinsurance, maximums, and in and out of networks. I needed the services, insurance paid what was outlined in our coverage, and after that, thousands of dollars remained that were my responsibility.

I felt guilt beyond description. Holidays were approaching, standard bills for phone, oil, and tv kept arriving, and I couldn’t imagine how we could balance everything. Stretch the Ride provided support for me and my family in a way that was life changing. We provided everyday living bills to Stretch the Ride, and the foundation paid those bills. As Stretch the Ride paid these bills, we were able to dedicate our funds to paying my medical bills, and I was able to dedicate any extra energy I had to spending time with family rather than arranging Promise to Pay Agreements and trying to find services we could do without.

The guilt that had had a stranglehold on me for months lessened, and I was able to enjoy holidays and other days with my family. Stretch the Ride provided a solution for the effect of cancer that couldn’t be seen or felt like the physical and emotional effects but was just as devastating.

I attribute the hope I’ve been able to maintain in my cancer journey to supportive family and friends, knowledgeable doctors and nurses, and foundations like Stretch the Ride that have restored my ability to focus on my fight by taking care of me and my family when I struggle to do so myself. Stretch the Ride truly allowed me to focus on my survival and on living more fully.

Faith, Fear, and Freedom: My Cancer Survivor Story 

I’ll never forget the day I was diagnosis with stage 3 triple negative breast cancer of the left breast. Just hearing those words felt like the ground opened beneath me. Everything after that moment became a blur of appointments, scans, and plans I never imagined I’d have to make. 

The first chemo treatment was a wake-up call in the most painful way, I had a severe allergic reaction- my body revolted, as if to say, “What is happening to us?” It shook me, but I kept showing up, because I had no choice. Six months of chemotherapy and six months of radiation. Every day I told myself: One foot in front of the other. 

When my hair started to fall out, I broke. It wasn’t about vanity. It was about visibility- the world could now see that I was sick. I cried. I grieved. But I also decided to stop hiding. That was the moment I started fighting harder. 

I was never alone. My faith in God became my anchor. My husband, my family, my friends- they held me when I couldn’t hold myself. They prayed, cried, and celebrated every tiny victory with me. My amazing nursing staff at Pottstown Hospital Oncology Department became like family. Also, the team from Stretch the Ride (STR) provided me with emotional support. STR aims to alleviate the emotional and financial burdens associated with cancer care. This includes providing financial assistance and emotional support groups through acts of kindness and community engagement. There were moments I wanted to give up. But I couldn’t- not with all the support I had around me. 

One day, we got the news: the tumor had shrunk— no visible signs of cancer. I wept with gratitude. Not long after that, I rang the bell. That sound…. It was more than celebration. It was a declaration: I made it. I’m still here. 

To those still fighting: hold on. It’s hard, it hurts, and yes— you’ll cry. But there is life after this. A life worth fighting for, A life where you can stand tall, scars and all, and say with boldness: 

I SURVIVED. I ENDURED. I’M FREE.

I’ve been volunteering with Stretch the Ride since 2012, after being introduced to the organization by my brother David. Before he passed away from cancer, David was a passionate supporter of STR and believed deeply in their mission to help individuals and families affected by the disease. His connection to this cause inspired me to get involved—and it’s been a meaningful part of my life ever since.

Through events like their annual golf outings, I’ve witnessed firsthand how Stretch the Ride provides real, tangible support to those navigating a cancer diagnosis. Whether it’s transportation to treatment, emotional guidance, or financial help during an incredibly difficult time, the difference this organization makes is both personal and profound.

Because of STR’s influence and David’s dedication, my family and I founded the David Buttaro Cancer Foundation to carry on his legacy. Like STR, our foundation is committed to supporting those fighting this disease—just as David did, with strength and generosity.

Supporting Stretch the Ride means standing beside people in their most vulnerable moments. I’m proud to be part of that mission, and forever grateful for the inspiration this organization—and my brother—have given me.

Why I Support Stretch The Ride

December 20th, 2021, was the day I heard my doctor say, “You have cancer.” At 51 years old, treatment for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma was definitely not on my to-do list.

Just three weeks later, my calendar was full—but with appointments that were a little different from the usual. I still vividly recall the warmth, compassion, and care I received on the morning of my first infusion at the Pottstown Cancer Center. I was greeted by a team of wonderful nurses, my CRPN, my nurse navigator, and my oncologist. Their smiles, positivity, and optimism gave me comfort. I knew I was in good hands.

It didn’t take long to realize I was surrounded by others also fighting this horrible disease. Sitting in that chair, I quickly learned that many patients were not only battling cancer but also facing overwhelming financial pressures, just trying to find a light at the end of the tunnel. I remember whispering to my wife, “We need to do something to help.”

At my next treatment, someone handed me a pamphlet and simply said, “If you need anything, Stretch can help.” That was the moment I found my why—the way to give back to the community I’ve always wanted to support as a local business owner.

At my very next treatment, we brought a check—and that was the beginning of our support for Stretch The Ride.

Hearing and seeing firsthand the needs of fellow patients then and knowing there are still so many who need help now, makes it easy to continue donating our time and resources.