Kayla Susick is grateful for all who have helped her during her year-long battle with breast cancer, including a major lift from Michelle’s Love, an organization dedicated to helping single mothers who are dealing with cancer

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

One mother’s tragic story in Arizona 20 years ago had led to blessings for hundreds of moms in the Northwest who are battling cancer, including several in Clark County.

The mission for Michelle’s Love is to help relieve some of the stress for single mothers undergoing treatment for cancer.

“The biggest thing that I’ve learned in all of this is cancer is this horrible, awful, evil curse that happens to people, but there are these … gifts that come with it,” said Kayla Susick, a mother of twins and a teacher at Hazel Dell Elementary School in Vancouver who has been battling breast cancer for a year. 

That includes, she said, “the people who come out of the woodwork who just wrap around you and lift you up and support you. It’s been really humbling and awe inspiring to meet the people who have stepped up in miraculous ways to make this lighter for me.”

She noted family members. Friends. Co-workers. All have been rocks in her journey.

And then there is Michelle’s Love, an organization Susick had never heard of before she started treatment.

Now Susick and Michelle’s Love founder Andy Royal McCandless are close.

Susick said a social worker recommended Michelle’s Love. 

“Hey, there’s this person who helps single moms with cancer. I was like, ‘No way,’” Susick recalled.

“From the second I heard (Andy’s) voice, I felt connected. She has the same personality that I do. She’s a get-it-done kind of person,” Susick said. “She lifted the heaviness.”

On Friday, Michelle’s Love, in partnership with Rick’s Custom Fencing and Decking, built a new fence for Susick and her 3-year-olds. The old fence on one side of the family’s yard had come crashing down during a storm this past winter.

The fence project, and others like it, are added bonuses to the mission at Michelle’s Love.

Royal McCandless founded Michelle’s Love after the 2005 death of her best friend. Michelle Singleton was a single mother of four who did not have much when she was fighting for her life while caring for her young ones. Singleton died at the age of 32.

Royal McCandless said she appreciates all of the charities that are raising funds to fight cancer, to find treatments, and hopefully, one day, a cure. But she also wanted to fill a need for the now. Specifically for single moms.

“I think that if you have your bills paid, your house clean, and dinner on the table, you can get better,” Royal McCandless said. “Our program revolves around those three things. We pay utility bills, rent, mortgage, we clean houses, and we provide dinners.”

In recent years, a few more things are getting done with the help of committed partners.

Rick’s Custom Fence and Decking has been in business for 45 years and this year is celebrating 30 years in Vancouver. 

The company has always given back to its communities, but in 2020, it started Rick’s Community Support Drive. It was a name to what the company was already doing, but it now had its own budget with a direction, according to Taylor Stanley, marketing director at Rick’s who was at Susick’s home on Friday as the work was being done on the new fence.

“When we get a request, somebody needs a fence, somebody needs a deck, somebody needs something that allows them to have a better use of their home … that’s when we like to jump in and get more people involved,” Stanley said.

Earlier in the week, workers came to haul away the pieces of the old fence. Kayla’s children, 3-year-olds Marcella and River, got to watch and meet the workers. They got to watch again on Friday as the new fence was installed.

It was a good day in this long journey for Kayla. She learned last year that she had an aggressive form of breast cancer that had already spread to her lymph nodes.

“It just flips your whole world upside down,” she said. “It comes crashing in and ravages your life, body, and soul in every way. … You’re stopped dead in your tracks. Everything changes.”

Colleagues at Vancouver School District donated leave to help. Kayla is off this school year, with the goal of returning to teach at the start of the 2025-26 academic year. 

Kayla’s mom was at every chemotherapy session. 

And, of course, Michelle’s Love has been part of the healing process, as well.

“They had a huge team to clean my house before Christmas,” Kayla said. “That was the most gigantic gift when you’re trying to put Christmas together for two toddlers. To have a team come and give you a clean, spotless home right before Christmas was like a dream come true.”

Michelle’s Love also pays the mortgage for six months and utility bills, as well. Plus meals are provided whenever requested.

Michelle’s Love has helped 258 moms from all over the region since it got its non-profit status in Oregon in 2013. Currently, Michelle’s Love is helping 13 moms battle cancer, including four in Clark County.

“Last year, we did $118,000 in rent/mortgage payments alone,” Royal McCandless said. “I don’t know how people can get better on a single income. It really does seem impossible.

“Michelle’s Love keeps you in your home while you are undergoing treatment.”

Michelle’s Love is also always in search of more expert volunteers. Rick’s has been a great blessing, Royal McCandless said. Michelle’s Love also recently partnered with an auto mechanic. The organization would appreciate a veterinarian’s help, as well. 

As far as Kayla Susick is concerned, Michelle’s Love is an integral part of her recovery.

“Michelle’s Love took the heaviness off of me. It made it so there were 10,000 fewer things for me to worry about so I could focus on my children, my family, and my healing. That’s a gift you can’t say thanks enough for,” Susick said.

Susick has gone through six months of intensive chemotherapy. She has undergone radiation treatment, as well, and endured surgery.

“Most of the worst of it is behind me,” Susick said. “We’re just hoping all of those things … have done what they were supposed to do. So far, everything is looking good. The scans are looking good. We’re hopeful.”

Kayla Susick reiterated how horrible cancer is, but noted there are gifts that come with it, too.

“For me, one of the biggest gifts has been time with my children,” she said. “The other big gift has been the people who have reminded me of the good in humanity and have helped me and supported me and made this a possible chance for me to heal and beat it and watch my kids continue to grow.”

Michelle’s Love works with a dedicated group of volunteers and donors. To donate to Michelle’s Love and for more information on the organization, go to: https://michelleslove.org/