Hey Rochester Women! My name is Heather Zajkowski. I am a 33 year old mom (aka momcologist) of two amazing little girls and I would like to share a chapter of my life story with you.

A few months shy of a year ago was when we heard the worst news of our life. News that no parents ever thinks they will hear.
“Addison has Cancer.”

Even while living our worst nightmare amid the prime of a Global Pandemic we have so much to reflect upon and be grateful for. The “worst year ever” has brought some pretty amazing silver linings our way. Lets hit the rewind button and start from the beginning.Continue reading

PHOTOS BY: BOB SHULTZ AND SANDY ARENA

Hailing from Rochester, NY, Annaliese Arena is a 16-year-old pageant queen, avid volunteer, and fashion model. At the age of 8, she began competing in National American Miss (NAM) and found her love for the world of pageantry. Pageantry is what encouraged her to get involved in her community service and love of helping others.

Annaliese’s first platform, at the age of 10 was named, “Happily Ever after: Because every child deserves one”. Through this platform she raised 1000 dollars with a charity basketball game, a PJ party fundraiser, a T-shirt drive with her dance school, and organized a “Whipping” childhood cancer event. Her current platform is Scars to Hearts which is all about taking life’s hardest moments and turning them into something beautiful to spread love to the rest of the world. She was inspired to do this after fighting her battle with mental health struggles and it is her way off turning her “scars” into “hearts”.Continue reading

If you are an animal lover, bring over the box of tissues before reading this special feature with Jeremy Wolf, and “Justice For Vanessa”, his beautiful pitty rescue dog. If we all come together as a community, maybe we can help make a difference and save this beauty from the injustice she is being served.

Here is Rochester Woman Online’s question and answer with Jeremy as he tells us a little bit about the heartbreaking months he has fought to help bring Vanessa back home where she belongs.Continue reading

BY TITIANA BOGAR

October 2nd, 2020 at 8pm was the worst night of my life. I received the call that is every mother’s worst nightmare… my 18-year-old son who had just graduated from Northeast College Prep, also know as Douglass High School, had been murdered.

Friday morning at 2am I woke up having an anxiety attack knowing something was wrong and I could not pinpoint what exactly it was that was weighing on me. I went to the doctors and they wrote me a prescription to help with my anxiety, chest pains and tears. Continue reading