Monique Acosta, a mother and community advocate from Woodbridge, VA, was confronted with a life-changing lymphoma cancer diagnosis in 2023. During treatment, she developed gastroparesis, which prevented her from digesting food properly. Struggling to nourish herself, Monique turned to Food & Friends for support.
Our medically tailored meals and groceries were essential as she navigated extreme nausea, intense fatigue, and a lack of appetite. Working closely with Food & Friends’ community dietitians, Monique developed a personalized meal plan—and a new understanding of how food could help her body heal.
“My quality of life was changed by food. Once my food was stabilized, I became more and more of myself. It was a lifesaver,” she explained.
Monique also lives with a compromised immune system due to a heart transplant earlier in life—a condition further complicated by the rigors of cancer treatment. The meals she received and the connection she built with her delivery driver became a lifeline of emotional support during long periods of social isolation.
Monique’s story demonstrates why medically tailored nutrition is essential to caring for the whole person—improving health outcomes, reducing treatment side effects, and restoring quality of life.