A Helping Hand: Amy Hendel Mahlios
SARASOTA - Amy Hendel Mahlios always led an active lifestyle.
“My arm was just hurting so much; I thought I injured it kayaking," Mahlios said, "come to find out it was because the cancer was in my lymph nodes.”
In 2017 she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.
“I had 18 rounds of chemo, and I was allergic to it the entire time," Mahlios said.
Amy’s husband Brandon left his job to be by her side.
“I didn’t want to finish the treatment; I didn’t want to, and he said, 'You have to,'" Mahlios said.
To lift her spirits he had her focus on the future and asked her what she wanted to do when she got better.
“I said I wanted to help people heal because the chemo was really brutal," Mahlios said.
Brandon took her answer seriously. He spent the next 100 days sneaking away to build Amy a salt room, which has now turned into Siesta Healing Spa. They help everyone heal, cancer patient or not, with massage, art therapy, yoga, the list goes on. After 18 rounds of chemo, 33 rounds of radiation, a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy, things are tough financially.
“Mid-treatment my insurance dropped me and we lost our home," Mahlios said.
Attorney Carl Reynolds wanted to give Amy 'A Helping Hand.'
"Having had a chance to meet you and interact with you, I’m just awe inspired," Reynolds said.
Despite everything she’s been through, none of it can take away Amy's smile.
“I really cannot believe how lucky I am with everything," Mahlios said.