Nicole was a loving wife, mom, grandmother, friend, and the life of the party. Everybody that knew her agreed she was always the one to fill up your wine glass and pull you onto the dance floor. Her laugh was infectious, and she always wanted everyone in the room to feel comfortable and welcomed. She thought of others first, and that never changed during her journey with cancer.

In May 2021, Nicole discovered she had stage 4 inflammatory HER2+ breast cancer while getting ready for work one morning. She immediately began care with the exceptional START Center of San Antonio, receiving chemo infusions followed by mastectomy and radiation. Despite the aggressive and advanced cancer, she fought back and was able to reach a “no evidence of disease” status after about a year of therapies.

Three months later, in September 2022, a metastasis developed in the back of her brain, near her spinal cord. She underwent 15 rounds of radiation, along with ongoing maintenance chemotherapy. Finally, in May 2023, her scans once again came back as “no evidence of disease.”

Over the course of the next year, Nicole continued to live her life—enjoying time with her granddaughter at home, as well as traveling with her husband out of the country. She returned to work and celebrated friends’ birthdays without worry.

In September 2024, she experienced several symptoms that revealed a resurgence of the cancer in her brain, this time being described as leptomeningeal disease. She began a new chemo pill combination, and although the meninges are a difficult area to target, the medication was keeping the cancer at bay.

In December 2024, her scans showed that the current approach was no longer effective, and the list of options had grown shorter. On December 27th, she began high-dose methotrexate infusions in the hospital, which helped, but ultimately led her to pursue a clinical trial with Dr. Peter Forsyth and his team at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL.

Dr. Forsyth admitted her into the trial, and she completed all the necessary steps to receive a dendritic cell vaccination via an Ommaya reservoir, targeting her leptomeningeal metastasis. She was inspired by another patient in the trial, Heather, who had successfully undergone 18 rounds of the therapy. Heather connected Nicole with the Leptomeningeal Cancer Foundation.

Nicole made it up to two weeks before her first dose in the trial, but unfortunately due to complications from the cancer advancing too rapidly, she was never able to begin the vaccine protocol.

Dr. Forsyth and the Moffitt Cancer Center, along with the Leptomeningeal Cancer Foundation, are at the forefront of finding more possibilities for others who find themselves in Nicole’s position. The Foundation helped us not feel alone, and the Moffitt Cancer Center made every visit seamless and optimistic. Every single healthcare provider we came in contact with took the time to give Nicole hope in a time when we felt like we were out of options.

Nicole never made her life about cancer. She traveled, went to concerts, ate at restaurants, and continued to do the things she loved despite her illness.

On July 17th, 2025, Nicole passed peacefully, surrounded by friends and family.

We ask that you consider supporting research and helping continue to further develop these cures. Help the Leptomeningeal Cancer Foundation become a bridge for others to gain access to these cutting-edge pathways to care.