Single Mother’s Cancer Battle Leads to Food Bank Reliance,Now Remission and Son’s Gymnastics Triumph
PARIS – A French mother’s harrowing journey through metastatic cancer,compounded by financial ruin and single parenthood,culminated in a hard-won remission and teh blossoming athletic success of her son,a story highlighting the precarious financial realities faced by many battling serious illness. the woman, identified only as the mother of Ulysses, shared her experience with Rose-up.fr,detailing a descent into debt and reliance on food banks while undergoing aggressive treatment.
Initially diagnosed with cancer, the disease metastasized, requiring a second intervention and turning the hospital into a second home. Unable to work or care for Ulysses, and without support from his father, she moved in with her mother, grappling with the disease alongside the guilt of diminished maternal presence. “I had to face the disease, but also the feeling of frustration, the guilt of not being able to play my role as mom,” she recounted. While surrounded by the support of her mother, grandmother, and friends, the financial strain quickly became overwhelming.
Prior to her illness, she worked as a legal assistant, but without an invalidity guarantee attached to her mortgage insurance, she received no income while on sick leave. Mounting bills – drafts, energy costs, and property taxes - quickly spiraled out of control. “I couldn’t even provide for our food needs,” she explained, ultimately forcing her to seek assistance from Les Restos du Coeur (The Restaurants of the Heart) to feed ulysses.
The situation reached a crisis point, with fears of losing custody of her son. A tearful meeting with a social worker led to an over-indebtedness file with the Banque de France, which was accepted, suspending her credit and staggering her debt to the public treasury.
Today, she is in remission. Ulysses, now thriving, has become a gymnastics enthusiast and recently competed in the 2025 France championships. Her story serves as a stark reminder of the financial vulnerabilities faced by individuals battling cancer, and the critical role of social safety nets in supporting families during times of crisis. She underwent chemotherapy during a period of home hospitalization, a situation complicated by a compromised immune system, but allowed her to witness her son’s growth. “I held up, clinging with all my might in Ulysses. I had not had a child so that he was an orphan!” she stated.
