Hi dear friends and family,

I’m reaching out today with a heavy heart, yet also with a lot of hope and faith, to ask for your support for my wonderful big sister, Shannon.

Not too long ago, we received upsetting news after a colonoscopy that Shan has been diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer. This came as a shock and was devastating for our entire family. As you can imagine, also very scary for Shannon; at such a young age of 45 and after all we have been through with the loss of our mom. Yet, if you know my sister she sure has a positive attitude and thick skin; her strength is profound and she is determined to get through this and get to the other side.

Shan has explored all options and medical opinions to evaluate the best path forward, with a balance of integrative and conventional treatment. The road she has ahead may be a long one, and I don’t want her to have to walk it with the weight of financial stress on her back. It is important that she solely focuses on healing. ♥️

The Journey Ahead

This week marks the beginning of a very intense treatment plan for Shan. Her schedule for the next several months includes:

* Radiation & Chemotherapy: Starting this week, she will undergo daily treatments for the next 8 weeks in conjunction with oral chemotherapy.

* IV Chemotherapy: Following radiation, she will move into 4 months of intensive IV chemotherapy.

* Potential Surgery: Depending on her progress, surgery is likely on the horizon after evaluation. This will be after her initial treatments are complete and the end goal.

Why We Are Raising Funds

Treatment is a full-time job. To focus on getting healthy, Shan will need to take time off work intermittently over the next 6+ months. She has also started a specific diet. Between the loss of income, medical bills, meal prep, integrative treatments, and the daily costs of commuting to and from her treatment center in Sioux Falls from Spirit Lake, she will incur a lot of expenses.

How You Can Help

First of all, prayer. We know that prayer works and we thank those of you who have already been praying and thinking of Shan. We are so grateful for all the love and support we’ve had from friends and family since her diagnosis, this uplifts Shannon and gives her strength, thank you. We are praying for Shan’s complete healing and to eradicate this cancer from her body. I’ll say, it feels vulnerable to ask people for money, yet donations are extremely helpful.

Our goal is to create a safety net for Shan so she can focus on her health and recovery. Your support, in any form, means the absolute world to us. ♥️

1. Donate : No amount is too small. Every dollar goes directly toward her medical expenses, meals, integrative treatments, and cost of living during this time.

2. Share️: Even if you cannot donate, sharing this link with your network helps us reach people who might be able to help support her along the way.

3. Prayers & Positive Energy⚡️: We believe in the power of community and prayer. Please keep Shan in your thoughts and prayers as she starts treatment this week.

Thank you for your incredible kindness, generosity, and love. Shan has a road ahead of her, yet we know with the village of people around us and across the globe that she has the utmost amazing support system. We will keep you updated on her progress as she moves through this journey and I will provide updates. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

We love you sis, you’ve GOT THIS!

With gratitude & love,

Sara Sommers