Elizabeth Austin shares her heart-wrenching experience of caring for her 8-year-old daughter battling cancer while managing her work as a single mother in Pennsylvania. Despite the emotional toll and the challenges posed by the absence of paid family leave in the U.S., she continued to work, often feeling she was failing both her daughter and herself. Austin reveals the immense pressure she felt to balance her professional responsibilities with her daughter’s medical needs, expressing a desperate desire to focus solely on her child’s well-being.
This is a heart-wrenching account. Elizabeth Austin endured a very challenging period while supporting her 8-year-old daughter in her battle against cancer. Residing in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with her two children, she shared her story with HuffPost. ‘As my 8-year-old daughter lay in her hospital bed, I couldn’t be a loving mother, sitting beside her shaking body and gently rubbing soothing circles on her back. Instead, I spent countless hours curled up in a blue vinyl chair, my fingers gliding over the trackpad of my laptop in case I needed to reactivate my Zoom,’ she began.
During her daughter’s illness, Elizabeth Austin was forced to work even while her child was suffering: ‘As a single mother of two and the sole provider for our household in a state without paid family leave, I had to keep my mind focused on work while my daughter’s body was ravaged by years of aggressive chemotherapy,’ she continued.
A Powerful Testimony from a Struggling Mother
According to a report by the World Policy Analysis Center in 2023, the United States is one of only seven countries worldwide that does not guarantee paid family leave for mothers. In the U.S., employees are entitled to 12 weeks of paid parental leave when welcoming a child, but there is no paid leave available for caring for a sick family member.
Elizabeth Austin has faced tremendous challenges over the years: ‘Throughout the three years of my daughter’s cancer treatment, I continued to work at the expense of my mental health and my daughter’s care. ‘I shouldn’t be doing this right now’ was my constant mental refrain at every monthly marketing meeting and during quarterly goal discussions and weekly metrics reviews. I held my daughter’s clammy hand off-screen, hoping that my AI-generated work history wouldn’t be disrupted during my Zoom meetings.’ she explained.
‘I Wanted to Focus on My Daughter’
Amid the turmoil, she found herself in a very difficult position: ‘I wanted to focus on my daughter. I knew she needed me completely, and I was frustrated that I couldn’t be there for her. I also realized that I was doing the worst job of my life. I was overwhelmed by stress, and there was no respite. I oscillated between cancer, parenting, and work, and with every breath, I wanted to die,’ she revealed.
Despite her suffering, Elizabeth Austin persevered for her daughter: ‘I imagined a hole opening in the ground like the mouth of a whale—something that could swim and swallow me whole so I wouldn’t have to maintain an impossible facade. My daughter’s access to treatment, which tied her to life, depended entirely on me. I could never let go of things,’ she concluded.