BILLINGS – When you see local business owner Brittany Curl out and about, her 4-year-old son Khalil is never too far away.
Last year she was faced with the terrifying thought of Khalil having to grow up without her.
“What about my kid, you know, what’s going to happen to him?” Curl said.
Those were her first thoughts when she was diagnosed with brain cancer in February of 2020.
In the months before that, suspicion began to rise when strange things started happening, like her face going numb.
Only two of her family members have been diagnosed with brain cancer.
“It was always in the back of my mind, but of course I was 25, a college athlete, so I thought maybe it was just stress-induced. So yea, it was a major shock.”
Now cancer free, Curl knew there had to be something more to her diagnosis.
“Throughout cancer, I’ve just kept saying – there’s gotta be a purpose behind this, there needs to be a purpose. It can’t just be because I have cancer,” Curl said.
And just four months after she received the news, the idea of non-profit Mommy’s Dream was born.
“If you’re a single mom, it’s really hard to, number one, find childcare, go treatments, work, you know, all these things that are necessary for life. So I thought I would start a non-profit that helps, basically targets single moms, but also helps all moms,” she said.
Assistance from Mommy’s Dream includes meal plans, Airbnb rentals for treatment travel, occupational and physical therapy support, and more.
“Just getting acclimated back in the community, once you have cancer, I think is hard for a lot of single moms. After I had surgery, I wouldn’t go through the drive-thru, because I couldn’t move the left side of my body,” Curl said.
Support from Mommy’s Dream will go beyond financial and physical assistance and offer some emotional support from a woman familiar with the journey.
“Trust the plan. Everything has a purpose, so stay strong,” Curl said.
Mommy’s Dream will have its first benefit on Sunday, Oct. 24 for a mom battling brain cancer.
Click here to visit the Mommy’s Dream website and learn more.
Curl is also the owner and CEO of Casey’s Dream, which was inspired by her sister.
Casey’s Dream offers residential and community-based services for individuals with disabilities.
