Our dear friend Carmen needs our help. As many of you know, Carmen fought cancer in 2020 (during covid) and we all thought she won the fight. Unfortunately, this month she found out the cancer was silently metastasizing (spreading). The surgeon had to remove 80% of her small intestine in an effort to remove as much of the cancer as he could. Carmen is now recovering from the surgery, on a feeding tube, with an ileostomy bag. However, you would not know the state she is in if you talked to her. She continues to be the strongest woman I have ever known. She will be released from Stanford this week, then she will need a nurse at home for at least the next 30 days. There are many expenses that they will incur over the next 6 months.

The next 6 months will be critical for Carmen, a matter of life or death. She needs to continue to regain her strength and then begin cancer treatment. She is currently not a good candidate for an intestinal replacement; however, if they can get the rare form of appendiceal cancer under control, an intestinal transplant is a possibility. We must all pray for an intestinal transplant as the one-year mortality rate is only 50-63%. Carmen has the strength to continue to fight and will fight for her kids, family, and friends. I set up this GoFundMe page so that we can fight alongside Carmen. We don't want Carmen and her family to have to worry about all the expenses they will incur over the next 6 months, but instead, focus on getting the best possible care.

If you are reading this most likely Carmen has touched your life in a positive way. I had the pleasure of meeting Carmen in business school. She is a beautiful soul. Carmen always has a positive attitude and I am always amazed at how many balls she can juggle at the same time. If anyone can overcome this uphill battle, it's Carmen! With our support, we can make it a little easier for Carmen and her family.

Thank you for supporting Carmen and her family through this journey.

I am confident by God's grace, Carmen will get through this.