Hello Everybody!

My name is Samantha (Sami) Ennis, and I am setting up this account for my little brother Troy. Troy will be graduating from high school on June 8th, and he has been accepted to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill! I am hoping that the money raised here will help my family pay for Troy's upcoming years at school.

For those of you that are new to Troy's story, I would like to provide an overview of what he and my family have been through these last several years.

In 2021, Troy was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer called Ewing's (pronounced yoo-ing) sarcoma. What is Ewing's sarcoma, you ask? It is a very rare type of cancerous tumor that grows either in the bones or in the tissue surrounding the bones. It is typically found in the long bones of people aged between 10 and 20 years old. If it metastasizes, this cancer can move to other bones or even the lungs and brain. Symptoms of Ewing's sarcoma include bone pain, swelling, fever, and tiredness.

Troy was 16 years old when he was diagnosed, in his sophomore year of high school and playing football on the varsity team. An ankle injury forced him to get some scans, which revealed a large tumor in his left foot. For several weeks after, Troy underwent many diagnostic tests that revealed he not only had Ewing's sarcoma, but it had metastasized to his spine and lungs. The recommended treatment was a year of the strongest chemotherapy possible followed by radiation to his spine and lungs. Troy was forced to withdraw from school because his time spent in the hospital left him too unwell to complete his classes. He spent the next year focusing on surviving, and in early 2022 he finished chemo. Several months after that he also completed radiation, and he was officially declared in remission. Since then Troy has had surgery to replace the bone in his foot that died as a result of the treatment, and he continues to have scans every several months to confirm that the cancer has not returned.

Troy returned to high school as a junior this past fall, but he quickly determined that his experience left him with the need to move on from this phase of his life. After speaking with his counselors, Troy found out he was eligible to graduate this year (2023)! He decided to move forward as a senior and has since been accepted to his top university.

What does this mean: While we are super excited for Troy to begin the next chapter of his life, my family was not financially prepared for this next step. My parents are still overwhelmed with medical debt related to Troy's treatment, and they can not afford to pay for college as well. UNC costs approximately $24,000 yearly for in-state students, and Troy has received a little less than $6,000 in financial aid. The goal is to help my parents avoid any more financial stress than they have had to endure for the past several years.

With that being said, we are going to need your help. Attending college has many hidden costs, including housing, books, food, etc., and it is easy to get buried by all the fees. If you donate, you will be helping us cover these expenses, giving Troy the education he deserves after all that he has endured.

Family, friends, and strangers: I cannot thank you enough. My family truly appreciates anything you are willing to give, and I personally thank you for easing some of the financial strain on my parents. We would not have made it this far if it weren't for the people like you who help those in their time of need.

If anyone would like to follow Troy's journey or learn a little more about his battle with Ewing's sarcoma, there is a separate page called "Troy's Journey with Ewing's Sarcoma" where updates are consistently posted. I will also add any updates related to this page here so that those who chose to may follow.

Thank you all again,

Samantha (Sami) Ennis