“She was all joy. Animals and kids loved her.”
Paul Isenberg describes the first great love of his
life, Nicole, who is the angel heroine of this interview.
Pregnant with their second child, she dismissed the lack of weight gain and other signals as simply byproducts of cold weather and other circumstances.
Until she couldn’t breathe.
The mass found was Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma and a battle
for her life ensued over the next five years. “She fought with grace. She was such a sweetheart.”
Her sweet and generous heart still swelled with gratitude
over the faith, family, and friends that surrounded her family at this difficult time. “But what do people do who don’t have this support system?”
That question birthed Bringing Hope Home, a charity co-founded
by Paul to pay the rent, mortgage, food, utilities, car, and other family bills for those facing a cancer diagnosis.
“We don’t use the word patient in our organization,” says Paul. “Because cancer affects everyone in the family.”
Providing a bridge over a tough time, Bringing Hope Home
started in year one helping ten families. Now, with over 9,300 families supported in six states, www.bringinghopehome.org
raises funds year-round.
Paul’s matter-of-fact way of speaking cuts to the chase: “Grief
sucks.” He shares that though initially resistant to therapy, it ultimately helped him tremendously. Family, faith, and having people who depended on him gave him a reason to get up and face another day. “Truthfully, I don’t know if I would
have done as well without having small children who needed me.”
For those who love a good love story, you’ll enjoy hearing how
Paul knew he was ready to love again.
This episode is dedicated to a beautiful soul, Nicole Isenberg, whose legacy lives on through every family helped by Bringing Hope Home.
