Helping Sarah

My name is Shanna (Thielen-Hamilton) Schmitt and this is a fundraiser for my sister, Sarah (Hamilton) Mostrom. This is the worst update I've had to write.

My sister Sarah is 42 and was diagnosed with Stage 4B cancer in July 2023. We were shocked and we are so, so appreciative of all the love and support shown since then.

Sarah is so private that discussing her health feels strange. She has undergone 2 types of chemotherapy and both have stopped being effective. Last fall, her hope was to see Owen graduate from high school and to see Rylee start kindergarten. On March 19, we received the devastating news that the cancer has progressed significantly and that she likely has only months to live.

Sarah and her husband, Chad, are parents to a 15 year old boy and a 3 year old girl. Sarah now has someone with her every day to help watch over and care for her very active 3 year old, which she cannot do anymore. Friends and family have been cleaning, cooking, and providing distraction with social visits. Sarah's family and many friends have been super supportive, but we have to ask for help again.

My sister and her husband have the biggest hearts - they have never once hesitated to share their time, money, food, and big hearts with their friends and their children's friends. They always show up, even when their budgets are tight. Sarah is funny, warm, and she is the center of her family. She has always found ways to add more chairs to the table and put out more plates for the meal to bring people together.

We’ve set up this GoFundMe to provide some financial assistance for Sarah's continued medical care and end-of-life expenses. I can't believe I'm writing these words, but we need help with these expenses as she leaves us.

Sarah was approved for Social Security Disability, which recently started. Several other forms of support have started too. Even so, the loss of her income has been hard on their family. Inflation, a new furnace, and the non-negotiable extra expenses that come with major medical issues have been stretching them too thin. We now need to think about the unimaginable - how to pay for the things that will help her last months with us and be able to focus on time with her family, like a new couch to watch movies with her kids when she's able. Hospice care. Medical equipment not covered by insurance. Time for Chad to be with her. Pre-made food.

We’re asking for a few things, as you're willing and able:

Thank you for support you've previously offered and any you are able to help with in the future. We can't thank you enough. I don't know how to get through this - I never thought I would have to ask for money for my baby sister to die in peace. It is overwhelming to think about saying goodbye and trying to not have her family suffer afterwards due to financial hardship. Your help in giving Sarah some peace of mind is an immeasurable gift to us. If we’re lucky and this message reaches tons of people and have extra money, funds will be transferred into savings accounts for Sarah’s kids to use for career training and/or post-secondary education (I’m the custodian of those accounts).

Please reach out with questions or if you'd like to help/donate in another way. Family and friends may also visit Sarah's CaringBridge site (we ask that you register and be approved to respect her privacy).

With deep appreciation and heartbreak,

Shanna