5 minute read
WALKING WARRIOR
JENNIFER FOGG
BY MAYA MCNULTY
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The 1947 movie Miracle on 34th Street is one of my favorite classic holiday movies. To believe in miracles, love, hope and joy during the holiday season warms many homes and hearts. Everywhere you look, the malls to visit with Santa, family gatherings, social media, mom’s, dad’s, uncles, aunts and kids of all ages are snapping smartphone photos filled with cherished memories for a lifetime. I sat down with a cancer mom and she shared her story of faith, resilience, and survival. How her precious son Logan is a Tiny Miracle, was born just one month before Christmas. Jennier Fogg is a special projects coordinator with Aflac and author of the book Tiny Miracles. She uses personal experiences and advocates for childhood cancer through the Logan Strong Foundation to help families that are fighting childhood cancer. The mission of Logan Strong Foundation is to raise better childhood cancer awareness, provide items of comfort, support for children and their families while they are fighting cancer in and out of the hospital.
As a proud mother to her warrior son Logan, who was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor at 3 months old defying all odds Logan turned 6 years old in November. Jennifer’s book Tiny Miracles was released March, 2022 on Logan’s 5 year cancer diagnosis anniversary to continue to share their story of faith, resilience and survival.
Tell us about your childhood and where you grew up?
I am the only child of an entrepreneur father and a supportive mother. I was born and raised in Colonie, NY. I was a tomboy growing up, playing softball and volleyball throughout my school years. I also danced competitively for most of my childhood. I’ve always been very independent and outgoing and not afraid of change or a challenge.
Tell us about your life before your
traumatic experience or life-changing event?
I had always wanted to get married and have a family. I got married late in life, I didn’t meet my husband until I was 35 and got married at 39. I had (still have) a great career with Aflac, I was teaching dance part-time and loving life. After we got married we immediately started trying to have a baby. After 6 months of trying and because of my age, we were told to see a fertility specialist. With a little help from the fertility doctor, we got pregnant immediately. When we found out that we were having a boy, we were both ecstatic! All my dreams were coming true. I had a great career, an amazing husband, and now a baby boy on the way.
What challenge(s) did you overcome?
Wow….a lot!
Since the day Logan was born, we were told numerous times that he wouldn’t survive. First being that he was born with a brain bleed. Then monitoring that, which turned into a brain tumor diagnosis at just 3 ½ months old. We spent the better part of 6 months living at Albany Medical
Center, undergoing 5 rounds of aggressive inpatient chemotherapy and three major craniotomies. He then spent another year going through outpatient chemotherapy.
Not only were we told several times he wouldn’t survive but were also told, he might be paralyzed or never be able to walk. I was lucky enough to not only work for Aflac, I also had cancer and hospital plans on Logan when he was diagnosed which afforded me the ability not to work throughout his treatment. Aflac also sponsors Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which is the hospital that wrote Logan’s treatment plan. So had it not been for my career, all of these synergies may not have happened.
Our son beat unbeatable cancer, and he doesn’t walk… he runs!
“At the age of 3 our son was diagnosed with autism. This became
But now we have a new set of challenges. He has some developmental delays; brain injury, feeding tube, shunt, bilateral hearing aids, autism, and delayed speech, but that’s just what they are… delays. He has overcome every worst-case scenario thrown at him and continues to defy the odds!
What does it mean to be a resilient woman?
Just keep going, no matter what! It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do with it. That’s why we started the Logan Strong Foundation to help
What did you learn?
I learned to trust my mama gut and never give up. I also learned how to ask for help! Being strong and independent is great but experiences like this really take a village! We were lucky to be surrounded by so many close friends and family and even strangers praying for our son!
What’s your biggest takeaway?
woman, author and patient - led researcher. Her tenacity for advocacy, travel and outdoor adventure allows her to speak on global stages and experience different cultures other than her own. A positive mindset and attitude is the cornerstone to Maya’s active lifestyle. She has been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, WebMD, Medscape, Healthline and many more.
Website: www. covidwellnessclinic.com Twitter: https://twitter. com/mayamcnulty Linked In: https:// www.linkedin.com/in/ mayamcnulty/
Going through this experience reinforced for me that everything happens for a reason and there is a higher power at work. Another thing is that doctors are just people too. So every time they would tell me that Logan wouldn’t survive, it was just what they knew. They aren’t God, although they are in some cases. We are super pleased with Logan’s medical team, their honesty, and their efforts. I think it’s important to know that we are all human! other cancer families and why I wrote a book, Tiny Miracles, to share our story of hope, faith and resilience.
