BCM - How did your life change when you became a mom? 

Meredith - Everything changed when Niomi was born and everything felt surreal. I realized that being a mom is the hardest job I ever had but also the most rewarding. She makes my heart light up in ways I never imagined.

BCM - You were recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer, Any advice for women out there who are going through the same thing?

Meredith - Live life to the fullest and appreciate every day! Hold onto every great moment you have with your family and don’t let the cancer rule your life. You are a mom first, wife, sister, daughter, etc. You need to fight your hardest against the cancer, but that comes last in the order of what’s important. Mommy first!

BCM - What has been your most memorable moment (s) as a mom?

Meredith -I love when I hear her footsteps in the morning and is running from her room. She pulls down my blanket and says ‘good morning mommy.’ I always smile when I hear her no matter how tired I am. She then climbs up onto our bed and gives me a morning hug.

After I was initially diagnosed with Breast Cancer on my 36th birthday (I didn’t know I was stage 4 yet), Niomi and I took a walk down to the ocean where we lived in Bal Harbor, Miami. Niomi never liked to go into the ocean without Gary or me holding her, but on that day, June 25, 2009, the tide was all the way out and Niomi walked with me and we just kept walking into the water. The ocean was so calm and I just kept looking around and listening to the silence. I didn’t know what was going to happen in the future or what cancer would do to us but I knew that this was a moment I would never forget and would hold onto forever.

BCM - What has been the biggest challenge for you in motherhood?

Meredith -Before breast cancer I would have said it’s the everyday challenges that all moms’ face, but since Niomi has been 18 months old, I have had a bigger obstacle in front of me.

Being a mom and living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer makes every day a bigger challenge. I wonder how I am going to feel every time I wake up. Will I have the energy to dress her today? Will I be able to walk her to school? Is she going to see me feeling sick? Does one of my friends have to pick her up from school because I am too tired to get there on time? The challenge is now hiding how I feel that day so she doesn’t notice that if don’t feel well and not crying in front of her as she is aware of the word cancer, but my first role is mom. Cancer comes last!

Something I laugh about after I was diagnosed was that I said I would never yell at Niomi and I would always be calm. Then one day I got upset with something she did and I said to myself, ‘What’s wrong with you? I’m still a mom and I still have emotions. I can get mad if she throws something or isn’t nice.’ And since that day, life has gone back to the regular challenges and being a parent is hard work!

BCM - What types of activities do you like to do Niomi?

Meredith -She loves to go to the Eloise Room at the Plaza and play, play dates and playgrounds, going to the beach (when we lived in Miami); bike riding and most of all dancing! We love to dance together and she knows every major top 40 song!

You recently became a volunteer with Max Cure foundation, what inspired you to get involved?

Meredith - For the past 18 months I have been so focused on raising money for breast cancer research and it’s been amazing as I’ve risen over $100K so far. I then went to a Max Cure event with Niomi and as I have always wanted to work with kids this seemed like the perfect fit.
I met with the founder, David Plotkin, and I loved his vision. He is building an amazing foundation in honor of his son and fighting for the kids who are fighting this horrible disease and for the families that have lost their children. My biggest fear is Niomi having to face cancer. It is going to be hard enough on her future with a mom with cancer and she needs to be brave. With Max Cure, I can raise money while using all the contacts I have built throughout the years and be a part of a team that is helping to save children and teaching them to Be Brave. You can learn more here

BCM - How do you manage your work/life balance?

Meredith - I have no idea!  It’s one thing to be a working mom who I was, but to do it with stage 4 cancer; I call myself the Energizer Bunny. I also know that I sometimes push it but I refuse to let the cancer take me down. I also loved working and being on chemo was so tough and it was hard to wake up in the morning, but when I feel okay, I take full advantage of it and work on projects to raise money and awareness for breast and pediatric cancer research.

BCM - Do you have any special message for Big City Moms?

Meredith - I was 35 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Ask for mammograms, ask for ultrasounds and breast MRI’s if need be. If you feel a lump, make them biopsy it and don’t wait the six months like they advised me to. Also, continue to do self exams. They don’t cost anything and can save your life.

CBS.com approached you to blog about your fight with cancer - what types of information will you be sharing?

Meredith -  I’m not sure yet and we are going to work together. The first story was about DNR’s (Do Not Resuscitate) at the hospital and that is a very touchy subject. The only thing I want to make sure of with the blog is that people realize that this is MY OPINION. It doesn’t mean I am right or wrong and it’s not meant to ruffle anyone’s feathers. This is my journey and I have the honor of writing the blog so I can keep raising awareness for early detection in women under 40.

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FUN FACTS:   

I’m totally obsessed with….

Meredith - My iPhone. I am always on it and it’s the worst habit! It’s rude but addicting.

My biggest influence is...

Meredith -My parents.

My favorite drugstore buy is...

Meredith -anything fun on sale

Products I can’t live without ...

Meredith - Vaseline on my lips before bed

My guilty pleasure is...

Meredith - my glass of Powder Quik! chocolate milk which I've been drinking every morning since I can remember.

Favorite restaurant…

Meredith - Sushi Seki but sadly I can’t eat sushi anymore. But all of their sushi is amazing!