If you’re reading this, it may be because you’ve known the sweet Matthews family for years - maybe even decades - or it’s because something about their story has compelled you to help, in any way you can. What they’re experiencing as a family is heartbreaking and is overwhelming.

As their family is navigating next steps for treatment, they’re learning it’s going to be very costly. The hope is to get some second and third medical opinions out of state - potentially at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center - which will require a flight by private plane as Anissa’s fragile state doesn’t allow for commercial flight and driving across the country would be too much to endure.

I cannot fathom what their family is experiencing. If there’s one thing even a stranger could assume of the Matthews, it’s that they’re a tight-knit and extremely loving family. That assumption doesn’t even begin to describe who they are, individually or collectively.

I ask of you to do something small to help this family so that together we can make a lasting impact. Whether you donate money to cover the cost of treatments, cook a meal and deliver it, offer to clean their home or, very importantly, come alongside them in prayer, know that you are appreciated beyond measure.

There is hope! Bill and Anissa are a wonderful couple of faith and they’ve raised up their daughters - Nikki, Meagan, Ashley and Lakin - to walk by faith. Please hope and pray alongside them.

Below is a message from Bill and Anissa’s four daughters. Please, take the time to read.

“9/30/2020 will forever be the day that our world turned upside down; the day we found out our young, healthy mom has cancer. What started as a pesky allergy cough turned out weeks later to be a large mass in her left lung that had spread to every bone on her vertebrae, right shoulder, right lung and liver. After biopsies and a multitude of tests she was diagnosed with Non-small Cell Squamous Lung Cancer (stage IV). Heart break and devastation do not even begin to describe how my family has felt these past two weeks. We are speechless. How can our 52 year old mother who walks 5 miles every day, eats healthy, barely drinks alcohol (besides occasional glasses of wine), with no genetic precursors, and never smoked a cigarette a day in her life have an aggressive lung cancer typically found in smokers? HOW AND WHY is this happening to the BEST and sweetest woman on this Earth? We have grieved and prayed continuously since receiving her official diagnosis last Thursday. However, during this time we are trying to follow her lead with positivity and outpouring faith even through the darkest of days- as my mom said, “we have had time to be sad and now we fight.”  Our plan is to do just that- FIGHT. We are channeling all anger and sadness into Hope. We are researching and connecting with experts across states to ensure she has the absolute best team of medical professionals and palliative care. We are praying for God to heal her and eradicate her pain entirely. We are asking for partners in prayer during this time of insurmountable sadness as she needs an army of prayer warriors. #anissasarmy

Thank you to our moms sweet friend for creating a meal train so that we can focus all of our energy and attention on our mom. Another huge thank you to everyone who has been there for my family these past couple of weeks in many facets, we are incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such generous, caring, and supportive loved ones. If you’re in the area we thought it would be special for her to receive prayer pumpkins (don’t forget to sign your name so we know who has come by) so she would be (and feel) surrounded by prayers, scriptures, favorite bible verses and the reminder of His sovereignty during this painful time. Our mom is a pillar of strength and we are trying to absorb her bravery, irrefutable love for life and selflessness as she leans on us to care for her. All while also standing strong for our dad who is working tirelessly to ensure his high school sweetheart and soulmate has a team of healers that are willing to fight just as hard as we are for our fearless mother. Please keep praying ❤️”

Any money that is left and not used for her treatments will be donated to the American Cancer Society.