Support Chantal Leven on her Healing Journey

A note from Chantal's friend:

We (Hartford Family Institute community) are writing to request financial support for Chantal as she receives treatment for cancer. We have made it in her name to guaranty her receiving the funds directly.

She has been bravely and successfully working with breast cancer for some time. However, it has grown to an extent that requires daily radiation and time off work.

Chantal has humbly agreed that it is time to open up to financial support from us, her community. She needs money to cover a high medical deductible, living expenses while off work, and to seek supportive alternative care.

Chantal has been driven in her own way to help others, both emotionally and physically, to find themselves and lead fulfilling lives. We have witnessed her “ paying it forward.” Now it’s time for us to “ pay it forward” in support of Chantal. Thank you for your consideration in contributing money for Chantal. Any amount you can share is greatly appreciated.

A note from Chantal:

Hello,

My name is Chantal. In 2014, I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.

From 2015 until 2020 I was cancer free. Yet at the start of the pandemic, I was diagnosed with stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer that was deemed "incurable".

I have done well, maintaining my life and work while managing this condition. The support that I received through friends who are healers and the therapists from Hartford Family Institute, is what I believe kept me alive with hope in my heart and the belief that I can heal despite this intense diagnosis.

5 months ago, I began a treatment that did not bode well and my condition worsened. My job workload increased which also caused more stress and gave me less to no time to care for myself.

I am now at a crossroads where I need to take rest and healing more seriously, which means that I have to stop working for a while.

Financially, I have incurred a large amount of debt for health care and other financial strains.

I do not find myself feeling like a victim and I intend to work again sooner than later. I am about to begin another series of treatments that I hope will turn my condition around.

Very loving, kind, and supportive friends have offered to start a GoFundMe campaign to help with my financial situation and allow me to get the rest I need.

I don't take asking for help lightly. It is a challenging thing for me to do. I grew up fending for myself and not asking for help.

This past couple of days, a friend told me that in order to keep supporting people in their healing process, I must stay alive.

I don't believe that it is my time yet to go, which is why I agreed to this campaign.

In 2012, I have become very aware of the correlation between childhood abuse and life-threatening conditions such as cancer through the ACE study.

The Adverse Childhood Experience study proved, through a 17-year study, that the link is real. The highest the score on the ACE test, the more likely the risk of cancer and other life-threatening conditions will occur. My score on the ACE test is 9/10. Over the past 20 years, I have done a lot of healing work to repair the damage caused by my childhood.

I have made it my mission to help people make that connection and heal their own childhood trauma.

In 2013, I joined the mind-body psychotherapy training program at Hartford Family Institute and graduated from their program in 2019. I got my Masters's In Social Work and passed both national exams in order to be able to help people heal their childhood trauma so that they could feel the support they need to live and thrive.

This is my life's mission and I know it and this is why I want to stay alive and well!

So, if you are so inclined to support me in my mission and help me alleviate the financial stress that not working will cause, I thank you in advance.

As my friend told me, in the future, I will be able to pay it forward by helping others, and to make that happen, I need to stay alive and well.

Thank you!