Bay Area breast cancer survivor develops platform to support people through life's challenges

SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- Simplifying support. A new platform called Wellnest is designed to do just that. It was developed by a Peninsula woman who saw the need for an easier way to help family and friends through tough times.

Julie Mansfield knew the need for a platform like Wellnest, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer almost 2 years ago.

"I had no risk factors. I have no family history of cancer, but all of a sudden, I found myself diagnosed and going through treatment and not really sure what to do. I had so many people that reached out at the time in my support circle, which was amazing, but I didn't know how to tell them what I needed in terms of help," she explained.

Imagine going through 28 rounds of chemo, 14 rounds of immunotherapy, surgery, and radiation at UCSF, while also trying to coordinate with family and friends for things like meals, house cleaning, dog walking and errands.

"We needed a system to better coordinate what was going on in our lives. And that's when the idea for Wellnest came about," she said.

MORE: Black women at higher risk of dying from breast cancer: How new study hopes for better health equity

Think of Wellnest as one stop shopping for all your support needs.

It's a wellness hub to help you receive and coordinate care.

It combines crowdfunding, product registries, a journal and calendar for logistic support. It's a perfect place to land, for people going through medical treatments, managing a chronic illness or even for those who've been impacted by natural disasters.

"We've had a number of people reach out that were affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles, where they lost their house or have been affected in another way, but really need their broader support system to be able to come together," she said.

"They need someone to come watch their kids while they look for a new apartment. They need help with rent. So, it's not just for those tragic individual events, but it's just for life's hardships as a whole. It's absolutely free for the beneficiaries. The supporters pay a small crowdfunding operations fee when they make their donation, but the beneficiary sees no charge on their side, and we make money through product commissions... through products that are purchased through the site. So, it's all behind the scenes."

And it's all ready to go. Inspirewellnest.com is now up and running to help support your journey.