Catching up with Stefanie Woods-Weakly
A year ago, when I shared about Abby Maddy, I was more excited than ever to be moving in a new direction with the company. We began in January with a build-out of a studio space in our home that would allow me to work while juggling our two teenagers’ schedules. But just as I was getting the studio settled, and beginning to work on the spring launch, we received some unexpected news. On March 30, 2023, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
To say this came as a shock would be an understatement. I had no family history, no genetic links, and no idea that anything was wrong. In fact, I still can’t feel the tumor. Unfortunately, the cancer had already spread to a nearby lymph node, and life was put on hold while we saw surgeons, oncologists and pathologists. In June, two months after diagnosis, I began a grueling chemo schedule consisting of 4 rounds of AC (the red devil) and 12 rounds of Taxol. I finished chemo on October 26th, and as I type this, I am preparing my hospital bag for a double mastectomy.
A few weeks after my diagnosis, I made the decision to pause Abby Maddy so that I could focus on my health and my family. I halted the spring launch, and just maintained shipping as orders came in. However, with chemo ending I’ve felt well enough to release a small collection for the holidays and it’s felt great to be back in the studio working again.
While this year didn’t look like I expected, I’m so incredibly grateful for my loyal customers who continued to support my business through these past eight months. I feel so fortunate to still be here, and I am so excited to get back to work in the coming weeks.