Help Nishele & James get their Christmas Miracle

As the holiday season is approaching, after much reflection on the whirlwind of the past year I sat with all the loss and blessings my family has experienced. It is no secret that it has been a tough year for the world, and I am so blessed to be able to celebrate another holiday season with my family. As Christmas is the season of giving, I would like to forego my Christmas gifts this year in order to help someone who has been fundamental in becoming who I am today, Nishele Borges Nicholson.

My goal and hope are that we will be able to raise funds so that she may start the process of getting an egg donor to start her family. My aunt is looking to conceive using a donor egg. She previously attempted IVF in 2019 but unfortunately did not release any eggs as she was told that the chemo treatment she received as a teenager may have caused her infertility. As I ask you to contemplate helping our family, I would like to share my aunt Nishele’s story and why is so deserving of this gift this Christmas.

In June of 1998, Nishele was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of 15 years old. She began chemo treatments during the first week of June, which would involve 18 months of chemotherapy, two porta-Cath placements and exploratory surgery of my abdomen. As if her circumstances couldn’t get any worse, her mother Maria was also admitted into the same hospital to deal with complications of diabetes. Unfortunately, after a leg amputation in August Maria would lose her fight on October 22nd, 1998. As a 15-year-old cancer patient, Nishele got to share her final moments with her mom as she was wheeled from the cancer wing to be with her mother in her final moments. Within a week the funeral was planned and Nishele had to pack up her life in Florida to begin a new journey in Connecticut to live with her sister, brother-in-law and three-year-old niece, me. She began her sophomore year at Trumbull High School in 1998.

After more scans than she can remember, and more hospital stays than she could count, it seemed like her life would finally go back to normal and she would be in a period of remission after 18 months of chemotherapy. She attended Paul Mitchell School in Connecticut and was able to graduate in 2005. Shortly after graduation, she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma which required her to have her thyroid removed along with part of her parathyroid.

She was whirled back into the operating room shortly after her diagnosis. During the operation it was discovered that the cancer had metastasized and spread throughout her lymph nodes and into my lungs. Requiring a more involved surgery, after 14 hours and over 40 affected nodes removed, she was set to begin the course of radioactive iodine. Most patients only require one round of this type of radiation, however she had to have 3. Although the treatment was a success, there are still some microscopic cells left in her lungs, which the radiation was not able to get rid of, which is something that she will have to monitor for the rest of her life.

Following her treatments, Nishele found her silver lining was her soulmate James Peter Nicholson and fell in love. They married on October 4, 2014 and have been happily married for 7 years. Nishele and James have been on their journey to build a family for the past seven years. In November 2019, Nishele had attempted a trial of IVF treatments, and after 13 days of shots and hormones and ultimately learned her body was unable to release any eggs due to her chemo treatments from her teen years. After several medical consultations, she was told her best option for conceiving a child would be using a donor egg.

Nishele has always wanted a big family, but now she is just hoping for the opportunity to experience one healthy pregnancy after all the trials and tribulations she has surpassed in her life. James and Nishele have so much love to give, and their dream is to have a child. I ask you to please help my aunt, as I don’t want her to be robbed of another experience because of cancer.

Fast forward to today, you'll now understand why aunt Nishele is a warrior. She has taught me what true strength is in the face of adversity. She inspires me every day to not waiver even when it seems all hope is lost, she has beat the odds time and time again. Nishele is one of the most selfless, kind, and compassionate individuals I have ever met. Her ability to always show up with a smile has always been one of the many characteristics myself and others admire most about her. It is no secret that wherever she goes she touches and leaves an everlasting mark on people's hearts. With those qualities and the fighter gene she has inside of her I know she would make an incredible mother.

Nishele has worked with adults with varying levels of disabilities for the past five years at Tuxis Harbor as Assistant Manager. Her current role is at ACES Village school as an ABA trainer, where she works with children with disabilities ranging from intellectual, physical, and behavioral difficulties. She has always gone a mile above in making sure that everyone feels respected, loved, and cared for regardless of their disability. She has spent her life paying forward what so many people have done for her. Now I am asking that you help me do the same as she is so deserving of the chance to be a mother and instill her beautiful qualities in another soul.

Please help me this year by helping my Titi Shell get her Christmas Miracle!

Thank you for your support,

Joyce Woolen