How this Franklin woman with stage 4 cancer is helping others 'Live 4 Today'

After 46-year-old Allison Phillips was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in August of 2020, her goal was to inspire others to "Live 4 Today."

What this Franklin resident learned, and is sharing with others, is that tomorrow is not promised.

Now, she runs a nonprofit, Live 4 Today, which already has raised more than $50,000 to help teens and adults with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses get their wishes.

After she achieved remission in January 2021 and was gaining her strength back from the rigors of chemotherapy, she had a life-changing trip that added more inspiration for her nonprofit. Her mother, Sharon, gifted Phillips and her teenage daughter, Peyton, with a trip to Hawaii in August of 2021. She swam with dolphins, hiked and went on boat cruises.

She felt "great," was in "a great mindset," and life was good, she said. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone, especially those who are critically ill, could have an experience like that? she thought.

And then, it seemed Phillips' life came crashing down at the airport while she was flying home from Hawaii. Her doctor was on the phone: Her cancer had returned and she needed immediate surgery.

During surgery, seven of her lymph nodes and the lower lobe of her lung were removed, all cancerous. She now has stage 4 cancer.

And Phillips grew even more inspired to start Live 4 Today.

As she was recovering from surgery, Phillips called her brother Eric. He knew her health challenges; he was hoping to not hear more bad news. Instead, he was stunned at Allison's request. Could he help her design a logo for Live 4 Today?

A logo? "That is why you called me?" he asked.

Her brother was her best friend, they talked every day, took his mom on weekly dates and would have her daughter over for sleepovers and always made her Star Wars waffles in the morning. He was also a professional graphic artist.

He enthusiastically agreed to design the logo.

A tragedy 'lit a fire'

Despite being given a diagnosis in September of 2021 of having three to six months to live, Phillips sought a second opinion. She balanced this with planning Live 4 Today.

After she was first diagnosed, her chemo treatments left her so weak she could barely move. She was on chest tubes more than six times. Her lung collapsed.

When first diagnosed, she created Live 4 Today merchandise to help pay her medical bills while her nonprofit idea was developing. Her merch, which included T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and water bottles, kept selling out. "I thought, 'I am on to something,'" she said.

This inspired her nonprofit, she said.

Because of her surgeries, Phillips had nerve damage which left her with constant pain in her right arm and often so weak from chemo that she could barely move. Sometimes, she was on oxygen or had an oxygen mask. Because her immune system is "shot," she said she gets sick easily.

But she pushed all this cancer stuff aside and said, "How can I make the most of today?"

Planning for Live 4 Today was one of her answers; this passion helped her get out of bed each day, she said.

She had many conversations with her brother Eric and friends about how to make Live 4 Today happen.

"Adults don't treat themselves to a vacation," she said, explaining why the nonprofit was important to her.

And then life gave her another heartbreaking twist.

At a football game with Eric in the fall of 2021, they noticed his stomach was bigger and he had lost some weight. Since he was seemingly healthy, it did not seem like a huge deal at the time, but something he should check out.

His health declined rapidly and on Nov. 28 he went to the emergency room.

“He got so sick, that I did not even think he knew he had cancer,” her sister explained. “It was such a shock as he was always healthy.”

He died Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, of multiple myeloma cancer at age 50.

“That lit a fire," said Phillips. Her brother designed the logo and the artwork the foundation now uses on its Facebook page and website, but she needed to decide when the organization would begin.

"No more excuses," she said. She started the nonprofit in February 2022 and had the launch party on March 10, which raised about $3,500. At that party, she and her team granted a 17-year boy a wish.

She then started fundraising and inspired others to help with the cause.

'She encourages me on my worst day'

Wauwatosa resident, Gerry Howze was asked a question that momentarily left her speechless.

"If you could do anything and get a gift to do anything you always wanted to do, what would it be?" Julie Cosich Collins, a board member for Live 4 Today, asked Howze.

"I was so caught off guard," she said. "I did not know how to respond." Howze, who is the executive director of a Milwaukee nonprofit Pearls for Teen Girls was the first adult recipient of Live 4 Today.

She was diagnosed with cancer in July 2021 when doctors removed a tumor the size of a volleyball from her abdomen. The cancer spread to her reproductive system, and it is too messy to remove, she said. What is good about Howze's cancer is it is not spreading; however, it is not curable, said Howze.

It is treatable, she said. What is difficult is that her medical team does not know where the cancer originated.

She said the next challenge is finding ways to treat it that will not set her back, she said. "My team is just scratching their heads. I will be living with this (cancer)," she said.

Howze said she was planning to go on a honeymoon with her wife, Paula, whom she just married this October.

Also, as someone who was orphaned as a young child, she lived in poverty, experienced homeless and had other problems that compelled her to inspire others with her story through podcasting. "So many people feel alone," she said.

So Howze was stunned to be gifted state-of-the-art podcasting equipment to get her podcast up and running as well as a sizable check to go on her honeymoon. She said she would like to go to French Polynesia, but is exploring what her body can handle.

One thing that amazes Howze is that she never knew Phillips before, but she knew Phillips was quite sick in July when she got the gift.

"And then to get this extremely generous gift ... Who does that? To muster the energy to fundraise and to deal with a diagnosis that is never going away ...," pondered Howze. "She is amazing. She is an angel. I love her."

Howze said the gift is most special because it was given by someone who understands because she has been there. "She is one of my heroes," Howze said. "She inspires me even on my worst day."

Howze said she takes more time to "be present for the moment." She may take time to play with her puppies, to relax and to learn healthy new strategies for handling things. She said it took the diagnosis of cancer to "start living a quality of life."

"It is so easy for us to get caught up in poor me," added Howze. "She (Phillips) took her experience to pay it forward to other people."

'They took my passion and made it their own'

Those who know Phillips describe her as one of those people who would do anything for them. Many in the community who have had a business relationship with her or met in other ways do not necessarily say she is a friend. Instead, they consider her "their best friend."

All those connections came in handy with creating Live 4 Today. When she announced her launch party, it quickly sold out. "We had to turn people away," Phillips said.

People all over offered to help and support the nonprofit.

When she held her launch party, Shawna Nicols, known better as "DJ Shawna," the Milwaukee Bucks' official DJ and producer, volunteered her services to DJ the event, and her management team helped Phillips create the Live 4 Today website.

"Allison and I have been friends for over 15 years. Anytime she calls or is part of something, I never hesitate to jump on board," Nicols told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Live 4 Today is the epitome of Allison ― helping others while Allison lives her life to its fullest."

Through these celebrities, there have been fundraising events at restaurants, a golf outing and a Milwaukee Wave game.

For instance, Wes McKane, past radio host for Milwaukee's WMYX-FM (99.1) and current host for 102.3 XLC, based out of Gurnee, Illinois, helped lead a fundraiser at In Plane View, a Milwaukee restaurant, in August.

"I am a big supporter of Live 4 Today because Allison started this when she and her brother were both sick. Instead of a pity party, they started to and continue to help others," McKane said. "We live in such a volatile time that taking a minute or two to help others just feels right."

McKane said he is always willing to help with an event when he can.

"Allison and I have had many business relationships, but those aren't what's important to me. She is one of the best friends I have ever had," added McKane.

Phillips said it's encouraging to see so many people willing to help.

"I am lucky I know local celebrities and have a good support system," she said. "They took my passion and made it their own."

'All about the experiences'

Phillips said when she launched Live 4 Today, it was not about just taking trips, but about the experiences the organization can offer.

One older teen, Jacob Blahnik, who is battling B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, was surprised with a Milwaukee Bucks experience last spring. He got eight free tickets for his family and friends, a pizza party before the game from State Street Pizza, an autographed Giannis jersey and a personal video from Pat Connaughton.

Phillips said she is hoping to provide more Milwaukee Bucks experiences to basketball fans.

Another sports-related gift she offered was for Matthew Pfund, a 17-year-old with lung cancer. He got a Milwaukee Wave experience, becoming a "player for the day," got to go to the locker room and received season tickets.

"We made it very special for his family," said Phillips.

The most recent wish is for Bob Case, who retired from the Germantown Police Department, after having various roles: patrol officer, accident reconstructionist, evidence tech and crime prevention officer. As a crime prevention officer, according to the submission submitted by his family, Case became a DARE instructor, visited area schools and businesses, organized Neighbors Against Crime Night, coordinated the Germantown Police Department's Adult Academy, Cadets Program and started a Youth Police Academy.

In 2014, he was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a rare bone cancer. In August 2020, he was forced to retire.

Since then, the cancer continued to spread and Case was given a prognosis of six to 12 months to live.

"We never gave him a formal retirement party because of COVID," said Penny Schmitt, a detective with the Germantown Police Department and a close friend of Phillips.

"Do you want one? I threw out different options," said Schmitt.

And then she had a perfect idea: "What about a getaway?" He said he would like one, a chance to be with his adult children and grandchildren. Live 4 Today raised money, as did the Germantown Police Department and community, to fund a getaway to Wisconsin Dells, a place he has often visited with his family.

Schmitt said she hopes the family can go to Wisconsin Dells in December.

'I can't take one year ... I can't'

If Phillips did not get a second opinion, she said she would not be alive today. A cancer pill called Retevmo ― Phillips calls it a 'miracle pill' ― is extending her life. Although her future and how long it will work is uncertain.

This pill has a time limit, Phillips said. Because of the kind of cancer she has, she will not be able to have any more surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. The pill, she said, is her only option. The hard part is that after a certain amount of time, her body becomes immune to the pill and it no longer is as effective.

"My body is responding well to that (so far)," she said. "Nothing is growing."

"I have about 15 months (for the pill to work) ... not that I am counting," she said.

She shared that whatever cancer pain she has is far less than the pain wondering if she will see her 13-year-old daughter, Peyton, go to prom, graduate high school or attend college.

"I can't take one year ... I can't," she said. Instead, she said her goal is to make it at least five years so she can see Peyton go to college. Peyton right now is interested in marine biology and is interested in college in South Carolina, Phillips said. "We are incredibly close."

"Who knows what they can come up with in a year," she said. "You never know."

In the meantime, Phillips is planning another trip to Hawaii and will buy her daughter her dream car. Allison will drive it at first, but it will be her daughter's when she turns 16.

She would like to go to South Carolina. Sometimes, she will wake up early to watch the sunrise on Lake Michigan. "If I want to go somewhere, I am going somewhere. I am just going for it," she said.

In the event she can no longer lead the organization, she has a succession plan through the board of directors.

"I do not feel sorry for myself," Phillips said. "I had a really good life. I have a positive perspective."

She said that perspective has changed since her brother died and since she was diagnosed.

"I now live with my eyes wide open," she said. "I celebrate that I am around, and I have an amazing life." She said it is "sad it took me having cancer and losing my brother to do so."

"I don't live as if I am dying, but I am living as if I am living," she said.

How to help

To buy Live 4 Today merchandise, visit, https://live4today.org/shop

To make a donation or for more information, visit https://www.live4today.org

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Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kozlowicz_cathy.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin woman with cancer is inspiring others to 'Live 4 Today'