My name is Hope, and I am writing to you on behalf of my sister Holly Simmons.  Over the past year our family has experienced multiple tragedies including the death of our mother on May 7, 2014 and the unexpected death of our father on September 21, 2014.  Shortly after my mother's death, my sister Holly was laid off from her job and has been unemployed for the past 10 months.  The emotional stress of losing both her parents and the financial strain of long-term unemployment has taken a toll on Holly's health.
   A few months ago, Holly started to become easily fatigued and noticed a decrease in her appetite with mild abdominal pain and bloating.  Since the symptoms were so vague, she assumed the changes were related to stress.  More recently, she noticed an unexpected weight loss of about 15lbs and mild abdominal discomfort.  This prompted her to see her doctor and have diagnostic testing done.  Her initial blood work showed abnormal liver function which ultimately required her to get an MRI, CT scan and liver biopsy. 
    A few days ago, Holly was notified that the results of the liver biopsy showed Metastatic Adenocarcinoma.  This means that she, at 41 years young, has cancer cells in her liver which have spread from an unknown primary source. Her doctor has ordered further diagnostic testing to try to identify the primary source of the cancer so we can discuss the best possible treatment options for her.
   The news of my sister's illness has been devastating for us both.  She is unable to focus on making any health related decisions out of fear of not being able to pay her living expenses while still unemployed, and the potential for mounting medical expenses.  We are unsure what the future will hold for her and what treatment options will be available. 
   Those of you who know me and my sister closely, know that we have had a complicated relationship over the years.  Despite our differences, I love my sister and I want to be able to  support her as best as possible throughout this very difficult process.  I am currently financially assisting her within my means, but am aware that I can not sustain this indefinitely by myself.  I would like to remove the financial stress for her so that she may focus on her health and treatment.  For these reasons, I am asking you to please consider making a donation to my gofundme page to support my sister Holly's fight against Adenocarcinoma, as well as adding her to your prayer list.

If "it takes a Village"......then you are my people!

With endless gratitude for the angels in my life,
Hope*