It breaks my heart to share this news about one of Bolingbrook, IL most cherished residents and business owners. Some know her as Lisa, many know her as Mandy but to all of us, she is someone who has given endlessly to this community.

For years, she has poured love into every plate she served, every conversation she shared, and every person she welcomed through the doors of Mandy’s Soul Food Kitchen and now The Soul Spot in Aurora. Her food has brought comfort, her presence has brought warmth, and her generosity has made people feel at home when they needed it most. Her restaurants have never just been about food, they’ve been places of love, healing and connection.

Today, the woman who has fed so many is the one who needs support.

She is currently fighting stage 4 cancer, which required immediate and extensive surgery. As if that weren’t enough, she then suffered a blood clot that traveled to her heart, forcing her to undergo emergency open-heart surgery. These are life-altering battles physically, emotionally, and financially made even heavier by the responsibility of trying to keep her business afloat during recovery.

Anyone who knows her knows her strength. But even the strongest hearts need help. Strength doesn’t cancel medical bills. It doesn’t shorten recovery time. And it doesn’t make it easy to run a business while fighting for your life.

Funds raised will help cover cancer treatments, ongoing medical care, medications, recovery needs, business expenses to keep her doors open, and basic household and personal needs while she focuses on healing. This support gives her the chance to focus on what truly matters right now: her life and her recovery.

No donation is too small, and sharing this fundraiser is just as meaningful. Every act of kindness reminds her that she is not fighting this battle alone.

Thank you for standing with her, for giving from the heart, and for helping carry the weight during one of the hardest seasons of her life.