Taryn Fogg was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in January 2017. She finished chemotherapy in November and radiation this February.
On March 7, a fire destroyed the Fogg family's home.
Just this week, one of Taryn and Jared Fogg's five children, their 8-year-old son Tyler, had open-heart surgery. He is recovering, the parents said.
All of this might have broken the Fogg family if not for an avalanche of good will in their tight-knit community of Woodstown, New Jersey.
"I think everybody in our town has helped some way, somehow," Taryn Fogg said.
Take the local hairdresser, Martino Cartier. His Sewell-based charity, Friends Are By Your Side, helped Taryn Fogg through her breast cancer treatment.
Cartier is a well-known hairstylist who started the charity seven years ago to give cancer patients wigs and grant wishes to people who are terminally ill. The charity started out small, but last year Cartier said he was able to give out 2,000 wigs for free. One of them went to Taryn Fogg.
When the fire struck, Cartier jumped back into action for the Foggs. His charity now has raised more than $20,000 to help them with the fire.
"I know we changed their lives and it’s amazing to know you have an impact," Cartier said.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Along with raising money, Cartier’s charity has donated full heating and air conditioning for the Fogg’s new home, along with patio service and painting.
Another family friend, Kate Agugliaro-Mangano, has known the Foggs for six years because her horse retired at Calumet Run, a home for horses which the Foggs run at their farm. She started a GoFundMe page called "Project Rebuild" to assist the family.
Agugliaro-Mangano said she witnessed Taryn’s positivity even as she's gone through tough times with cancer and now the fire.
"She always makes sure everyone else is taken care of and puts herself last. She never lost sight of the fact that only material things were lost and everyone is safe," Agugliaro-Mangano said. "It’s that mentality that made me want to do something for her, because she’d give the shirt off her back for someone."
Agugliaro-Mangano started the page thinking it would be small, but it’s currently raised more than $7,000 for the Foggs.
"People donate every day, it’s really been a blessing to them," Agugliaro-Mangano said. "The majority are strangers, so it’s really nice to see."
One of the Foggs' sons, Austin, is a wrestler, so the local wrestling community has also gotten involved. Woodstown Youth Wrestling posted about the family on Facebook, asking for gift cards and clothing donations.
So far, the Facebook post has warranted a big response, with more than 400 shares, according to Adam Hyland, a coach for the wrestling team.
"There has been a lot of response from the team, coaches and the wrestling community at large," Hyland said.
Taryn Fogg moved to Woodstown in 2003 when she married Jared and has been in awe of the small community’s efforts.
"I am speechless and grateful," she said.
"I knew we had a good community, but I didn’t realize the outreach would be as strong," her husband said. Jared Fogg has lived in the Woodstown community for most of his life. "The community helped make this as easy as it can be."
He said the support has changed their outlook on life — and their future. They once planned retire out of the area. But after witnessing the generosity of their current community, they want to remain in Woodstown for the rest of their lives.
"I hope my kids will grow up and see the benefits of a community and want to stay here too," he said.
