Seventeen years ago, I met the girl who would become not only my best friend, but the sister of my soul. On first sight, I detested her. Tall, blonde, blue eyed and athletic, she was the perfect image of an All-American girl. It took me two months to get around how perfect she was, two months to actually know her. And then, I loved her. And I have ever since.

Now, I'm asking your help for this wonderful woman who has been my best friend since we were 10.

She has cancer. Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Emily is the most beautiful soul I have ever encountered, and I have encountered a few over the years. She is infinitely kind, unfailingly loyal, and gives constantly of herself to every person she meets. She always has a kind word and a smile, even on her worst days. Even with cancer.

Emily is also a mother of a rambunctous five-year old boy who is the light of her life. He is his mother's little shadow, and imitates her with his kindness and pure joy in life. You know that smiling little blonde boy in the commercial, the one who can't be real? He is, and he really is that sweet and happy, and my best friend is his mother.

But lately, Emily isn't smiling as much. Imagine being so exhausted that, on your son's first day of kindergarten, it's all you can do to get him off to school before collapsing back into bed. Chemo is rough like that. It drains her of every bit of energy. Now, imagine on his third day of kindergarten, you send him off, and know that there is every possibility that there won't be any power in the house when he gets home, because you are so far behind on your bills.

For five years before this, Emily fought migraines and constant illness, while working full time and struggling to provide for her little boy. And she did just that. Until this year. With her diagnosis, twice-weekly chemo treatments, and twice monthly blood transfusions, she lost her job.

Let's be clear; her son's father is in prison and there is no child support check coming in. And now, she has no income from work. Her boyfriend is attempting to keep their little family afloat, but the cost of her chemo, blood transfusions, and other medications, coupled with rent, utillities, food, and school expenses for her son, are too much.

They need help. Emily needs financial security to take the stress off of her so she can fight against and beat this cancer!

Again, this woman is my best friend, and more, my soul sister. Her happiness is mine, and I am doing everything I can to help her. But I am currently fighting my own battles against diabetes, blindness, and a worker's comp injury that prevents me from working, that my former employer is fighting against paying for.

So, here I am, asking for your help for this wonderful mother. All money donated will be used to cover her medical expenses and bills such as rent and utillities. Emily cannot successfully fight cancer if she is stressed about bills pouring in from all corners. I'm asking you to help her fight this.

The doctors say they have no idea how long it will take for the chemo to work. They don't expect to see any changes for at least six months, and she may need chemo for three to five years. This will not be a short battle. Emily has need of funds as soon as possible, but she is going to need help for a time to come. She is on a waiting list for help from our state, but they won't even review her case until next year. In the meantime, anything helps. Truly.

I don't know you, most likely. We will never meet, or go out to coffee. We won't take photos together or play monopoly. But I will know something about you. I will know you are a kind, caring person, who has generously helped one of the most important people in my life. And I will be thankful for you for the rest of my days. You will likely never know how thankful, but I will be thankful all the same.

So, thank you in advance. Thank you, from me, a woman fighting for her best friend. Thank you, from Emily, a mother fighting cancer while raising a loving little boy. And thank you from him, that loving little boy, who adores his mother with all that he is. Thank you.