Maybe the startup gives her husband a positive distraction to focus on instead of his treatment and it gives them something good to talk about. You have no idea.
A startup might be the perfect antidote to balance out her other duties to her family.
Remember that all people are not equal, some people are in the top 1% of population for energy, or IQ, or organization, or even with a need for sleep. Aka do not attempt to measure this woman against the "norm", she is probably very very capable and can handle everything better than most.
All of us have a unique blend of skills and abilities, and it takes less effort for some of us to fulfill priorities than others.
A lot of people would have given up. I certainly wouldn't have blamed her for a second if she had. She chose to fight and I'll be damned if she isn't winning. It's inspiring to see.
Founders are very different people, with very different energy levels and risk profiles than the general population, or even the population of startup employees.
Some of us CAN have it all, and there are not always trade offs for us compared to the "norm".
For example, some can excel in multiple college varsity sports while holding a 4.0 in EE, when most college students play club ball and feel overwhelmed getting their homework done.
I would like you to entertain the thought that others may have 10x more capacity than yourself.
My goodness, let Hacker News be at least one place where unique women feel free to be honest about their drive, ambition, and productivity.