About Jenna N. Tomas (Tomasiewicz)
Personal Cancer Story
At 34 years old, I was building the life I had always dreamed of. I was a wife, a mother to a toddler, and pregnant with my second child. I was navigating the beautiful chaos of motherhood - raising my young son, preparing for another baby, and believing I was stepping into one of the happiest seasons of my life.
Then, during my third trimester of pregnancy, I heard the words no mother ever wants to hear: "You have breast cancer."
I was diagnosed with Stage II ER/PR-positive, HER2 negative breast cancer while 28 weeks pregnant with my second child. Suddenly, the excitement of preparing for a new baby was replaced with fear, uncertainty, and decisions no parent should have to make.
I found myself navigating the unimaginable - learning about treatment options while pregnant, facing the reality of chemotherapy, and trying to protect the little life growing inside of me while fighting for my own.
After undergoing two rounds of chemo while pregnant, I was induced at 37 weeks. I was so fearful that something bad might happen. My first son experienced a traumatic birth but by the Grace of God, he is now thriving. This time around I was extremely fearful for my unborn son's well-being. I wasn't taking Tylenol and ate only organic whole foods so the thought of chemo exposure frightened me to my core. Luckily, I had an amazing team of doctors who monitored him and reassured me he would be okay.
The moment my son was born, the nurses placed him on my chest and told me he was healthy - something I was not able to experience with my first son. It was the most blissful moment in my life. In that very moment, cancer didn't exist, I didn't care that I was bald and the pain I was feeling didn't matter. It I was in that very moment I knew I had to keep fighting and never give up.
I went through chemotherapy, including some of the most physically and emotionally challenging moments of my life. I experienced the fear of the unknown, the loss of control, and the grief of watching my body change while I was still trying to be a mother and partner. There was a time when chemotherapy almost took my life and completely altered my perception as I knew it. After treatment, I underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction, all while caring for a toddler and adjusting to life with a newborn.
"Cancer did not only affect my body - it changed my identity..."
Cancer did not only affect my body, it changed my identity. I had to learn how to mother while healing, how to process trauma while showing up for my children, and how to rebuild a sense of self after treatment ended. The world often celebrates the end of cancer treatment, but many survivors know that the "after" can be one of the hardest parts.
The questions remain:
Who am I now?
How do I move forward?
How do I reconnect with myself, my relationships, my confidence and my life?
"Surviving cancer and healing from cancer are two very different journeys..."
When the appointments became less frequent and the world expected me to "move on," I realized surviving cancer and healing from cancer were two very different journeys. I was grieving the woman I used to be while trying to embrace the woman I had become. I struggled with anxiety, hypervigilance, body image, confidence, identity, and learning how to feel safe in my own life again.
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I understood the psychology behind trauma and healing. As a survivor, I lived it. i discovered that the emotional aftermath of cancer is often the part no one prepares you for.
My healing didn't happen overnight. It came through intentionally rebuilding my identity, reconnecting with my body through movement, prioritizing my mental and emotional well-being, strengthening my faith, embracing motherhood with a new perspective, and creating a life that felt meaningful again. Healing wasn't about becoming the woman I was before cancer - it was about becoming someone stronger, more authentic, and more deeply connected to herself.
Professional Background
Jenna Tomas (Tomasiewicz), LCSW is a Licensed Social Worker with extensive experience supporting children, adolescents, adults, and families across medical, educational, and mental health settings. She earned her Master's degree in Social Work from New York University, graduated Sigma Cum Laude, and has dedicated her career to helping individuals navigate trauma, anxiety, grief, life transitions, and emotional healing.
Through her career, Jenna has served in diverse clinical roles, including hospital, outpatient, residential and school-based mental health, where she has developed expertise in crisis intervention, behavioral health, case management, multidisciplinary collaboration, and evidence-based therapeutic approaches.
Following her own diagnosis of breast cancer while pregnant with her second son, Jenna combined her professional expertise with her lived experience to found The Her After - a coaching and education platform dedicated to helping women rebuild their identity, confidence, and emotional well-being after cancer treatment. Through psychoeducation, coaching, and digital content, she empowers women to move beyond survivorship and create fulfilling lives after cancer.
Jenna is passionate about translating psychological research into practical, relatable strategies that foster resilience, post-traumatic growth, and lasting emotional wellness. Her work bridges clinical knowledge with authentic personal experience, making her a trusted voice for women navigating life after cancer and major life transitions.