When a close friend was diagnosed with a brain tumor while pregnant, we saw instantly how such a mom would need a moment more than most. Her friend, however, had a surprisingly difficult time finding affordable resources to address her fundamental needs during this difficult time in her life. She suggested that a network of caregivers could benefit mothers with cancer—and Special Moms, Special Challenges was born.

Almost 40,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed in Georgia annually. With the incidence rate of cancer in Georgia females at 394 per 100,000, and a population of almost 5 million in the Atlanta metropolitan area, the city sees around 10,000 new cases of cancer a year among females. Atlanta-area females therefore constitute approximately a quarter of all Georgia cancer cases. As a significant number of these women likely have children, it is clear there is an enormous population in Atlanta that needs help coping with the day-to-day reality of being moms while undergoing intensive cancer treatment.