In March of 2009, after having fought an off and on battle with cancer for over a decade, the disease had spread to the brain of Stefanie Spielman. The new treatments which needed to begin had affected her even more severely than the numerous rounds of chemo therapy which she had endured over the years. It left her drained and dizzy.

Her husband Chris had to take on more responsibilities around the house, things which had usually fallen on Stefanie, like paying bills, cooking meals, and helping to organize the schedules of their four kids. The family prepared to have a celebratory dinner after the radiation had finished, but this was cut short when Stefanie suffered a fall. After doing a few tests at home, she was taken to the hospital. The cancer had spread to her spine.

In the new book, “That’s why I’m here,” Chris Spielman writes that it was at that point he was faced with the harsh reality that she was going to die from cancer. In a poignant moment, before Chris left the hospital to return home, from her hospital bed, Stefanie said, “You’ve proven to me you can do it.”