I didn’t choose this path; it chose me.
2x Cancer Survivor. Master Educator. Sovereign Matriarch. 🕊️

I see the playbook; I’m raising my kids to see it too. 👁 I am the Midwest Millennial Mama – here to expose the scripts that divide us, protect our Iowa land, and teach the next generation. Welcome to my awakening. ✨️
For years, I lived the life I was “supposed” to live. I graduated college, I became a wife to my high school sweetheart, started a family, earned a Master’s degree all while teaching elementary school.

I let the world convince me that a Master’s degree and a career were “mandatory” to be valuable. I fed the machine for years while my true purpose waited.
After having my third child, I felt a calling – it was to be home taking care of my young children.
I was a stay-at-home mom, raising my kids in the heart of the country. Living my best Midwest Millennial Mama life!
Then, less than 6 months later the script flipped…
In November 2022 I was diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma that nearly killed me. This wasn’t my first cancer diagnosis either, in 2017 while pregnant with my second child I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
During my battle with Stage 4 blood cancer I fought through years of chemotherapy and radiation, pushing my body to its absolute limits before a life-saving stem cell transplant from an unknown international donor saved me. But the battle went deeper than my blood. Somewhere between the extreme chemo toxicity, a battle with sepsis, and those long comatose states, a third eye opened. 👁
Surviving cancer gives you a perspective that you can only get when you’ve stood on the edge of eternity. When you almost lose everything, you stop falling for the distractions. You start seeing the Playbook.
I created MidwestMillennialMama.com because our families are being managed, not lead. Our health is being treated as a profit center, our land is being eyed by the donor class, and our children are being taught to follow a script that wasn’t written for their benefit.
This website is the headquarters for our awakening. 🕊🏡
Here is how we’re taking the power back:
☆The Mama’s Story: From surviving to thriving. This is the raw account of my battles with cancer and the recovery journey that followed my life-saving stem cell transplant. Beyond the medical fight, it’s about the daily reality of motherhood, the lessons learned in the fire, and how I’m rebuilding a life of health and purpose for my family.
☆The Playbook: We are going to name the names and expose the scripts. Whether it’s the property tax traps, the toxins in our soil and water, or the political drama used to keep us from noticing the land-grabs. We are looking at the facts, not the headlines.
☆The Next Gen: This is why I fight. I’m a Master’s-educated teacher, but my most important students are my three children. From decoding movie lessons to navigating the “cell phone” digital frontier, I’m sharing how we raise sovereign thinkers who won’t have to un-learn the world like I did.
☆Poems: On this page, I’m sharing something a little more personal. These are the poems I wrote when words were the only medicine that worked. From the first diagnosis to the strength of recovery, this is my journey in its purest form.
If you’re a mama who’s awake and tired of the scripts, welcome. We’re building our own world here. 🕊️🏡
I’m a survivor, an educator, and most importantly a Midwest Millennial Mama. The lens is finally clear, and I’m inviting you to pull up a chair. Explore the site. Read the archives.
Join the conversation. 💬

We’re all at different stages of building our own worlds. What is one thing you’re doing today to protect your family’s ‘fortress’—no matter how small?
Drop a comment below. ⬇️
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The Monster in the Room

There is a specific kind of “quiet” that comes after cancer treatment, but it isn’t always peaceful. For many, it feels like living with a monster lurking just over your shoulder, silent but present, waiting for the right moment to step back into the light. Most people in their thirties are planning their next decade.…
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Real Life vs. The Noise

Cancer gives you a vision the world tries to take away. 🕊️🎗️ While I was fighting for my life, my world got very small, very fast. When you’re staring at a hospital ceiling, you don’t care about the viral outrage of the day. You don’t care about political propaganda or the “scandal” in another state.…
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Behind the Locked Doors

Right now, 15,000 nurses in New York City are on the picket lines. While the headlines talk about wages and benefits, there is a deeper, more chilling demand at the heart of this strike: Workplace safety and violence protections. For anyone who hasn’t lived in a hospital for weeks at a time, this might sound…
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She Wears My Shoes

The world is calling 2026 the “new 2016.” For most, it’s a trend about fashion and nostalgia—a return to a certain look or feeling. But for me, the connection is much more literal, and a lot more emotional. In 2016, life looked a lot different. My oldest was only two years old—a whirlwind of cuteness…
12 responses to “Welcome”
👊🏼 yes girl
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I am compelled to continue sharing my story. I appreciate the support! 🤗
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I am so excited for you!
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Thank you for the encouragement to share what’s on my heart. 🤍
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I am sooo proud of you!! You are an inspiration!! Keep being you Lady!!
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Thank you! I felt a calling to share my story. Hopefully I will inspire others to join the stem cell registry & donate blood. My life was saved because of those selfless acts. 🥹🙏🏻
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I have always been in your corner and am excited to continue watching you grow and inspire others….much love
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Thank you so much, Kathy! I appreciate your support. 🫶🏻
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This is amazing! I’m in awe of the strong leader you are and can’t wait to see what the future brings for you! You are inspiring!
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Thank you, Nicole! I am being called to share my story. ✨️🙏🏻
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This is amazing. Your voice, your story, and your positivity are exactly what so many people need. Watching you walk through this with so much courage has already inspired me, and now you’re creating a space to lift up others too. I’m so proud of you and can’t wait to see the impact this has 💛
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Thank you so much, Amanda! 🤍 I have already heard from other blood cancer warriors that are looking at my story as a sign of hope! That’s all I could wish for. ✨️
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