Cierra was driven, hilarious, compassionate, and a million more things. She was an amazing veterinarian, friend, sister, daughter, and person. She had an infectious laugh and a brilliant smile. She loved those around her deeply. Cierra dedicated her life to horses and becoming a large animal vet, and graduated with her doctorate in veterinary medicine from Texas A&M in May of 2026.

We are sad to share that Cierra took her own life on September 20th. Her loss has been devastating for our family and for the veterinary community.

The issues that Cierra dealt with are ones many interns have faced in the veterinary world. Extremely long hours, high stress, emotionally tolling environments, and decisions that can weigh on your conscious are just some of the challenges faced. these challenges alone can be difficult but when combined, can have an incredible toll on ones mental health.

In the midst of this heartbreak, our family wants to honor Cierra in a way that carries her name forward with purpose. Cierra loved helping animals and the veterinary world, but that world took a toll on her. We as her family wish to prevent further veterinarians from facing those same challenges. That is why we want to create a fund and memorial in Cierra’s name that works to provide change to solve these challenges.

We are seeding this fund with $175,000 from our family and creating this GoFundMe as a place where those who wish to give in lieu of flowers can donate. Our hope is to match that initial funding through the support of others who want to honor Cierra’s life.

The purpose of this fund will be to improve interns’ experiences at veterinarian practices. We believe the current system is inadequate, and we do not want another young veterinarian or another family to go through what we are facing now. We want to seek to change the culture and regulations that permit its current structure.

If you would like to support Cierra’s memory, please consider donating or sharing this fundraiser. Every gift will help build something meaningful in her name and support a cause that matters deeply to our family during this most difficult time.

GoFundMe automatically adds an optional tip at checkout. You can change this tip amount to $0 by selecting 'Enter custom tip' before paying. 100% of your intended donation still goes to our cause.