Megan Mulvey was closing home loans and building a brand when a leukemia diagnosis rerouted everything — replacing loan closings with chemo chairs, and open houses with a bone marrow transplant.
The mortgage lender, known in real estate circles as 'The Hats & Homes Girl,' has since returned to her work at CrossCountry Mortgage. But she came back with something new: Box of Hope, a nonprofit built to rally the CrossFit community around athletes and families facing cancer.
I’ve always believed that the hardest chapters in life can be turned into something meaningful, and my journey is proof of that.— Megan Mulvey, mortgage lender and founder, Box of Hope
The treatment was grueling. Mulvey went through 51 rounds of chemotherapy, full-body radiation, and a bone marrow transplant. At the same time, her husband lost his job twice, and the family — she is a mother of two — faced financial strain on top of the physical and emotional weight of a life-threatening illness.
Cancer stripped away my sense of normal and tested me in every way possible—not only physically and emotionally, but also financially.— Megan Mulvey, mortgage lender and founder, Box of Hope
What carried her through, she says, was her CrossFit community, close friends, and faith. That experience directly shaped Box of Hope — which supports CrossFit athletes and families facing cancer through fundraisers, care packages, and financial assistance.
It’s about more than money; it’s about making sure no one feels alone, unsupported, or financially crushed when they’re fighting for their life.— Megan Mulvey, mortgage lender and founder, Box of Hope
Mulvey credits her years as a CrossFit athlete with helping her endure treatment physically and mentally. The connection between that community and her recovery is the foundation of Box of Hope's model — using existing CrossFit networks to identify people in need and mobilize support quickly.
With roughly a decade in the mortgage industry, Mulvey built her professional identity around being approachable and community-focused — qualities she says now run through both her lending work and her nonprofit. She describes her role in both as showing up for people at pivotal moments, whether that's buying a first home or surviving a cancer diagnosis.
Whether it's working together in business or locking arms in the fight against cancer, I believe we go further when we go together.— Megan Mulvey, mortgage lender and founder, Box of Hope
Box of Hope is seeking volunteers, sponsors, and donors. People can also simply spread the word to someone who may need the organization's help. More information is available at boxofhoperx.org.
Why it matters — Mulvey's story puts a local face on the financial devastation cancer can cause for working families — and Box of Hope offers a concrete, community-based model for addressing it.
⚠ Not yet confirmed
- Mulvey is affiliated with Southeast Mortgage in addition to CrossCountry Mortgage
- October 2023 diagnosis date
- bone marrow transplant from a donor in Germany
- BoxofHopeRX online name
- expanded to include pediatric cases claim
- Peachtree City location reference
Reported by voyageatl.com, thecitizen.com
Where this comes from
Written by Papalocal's AI from these outlets' reporting. It can miss or misread things; the outlets are the record.