I am Erin O’Brien. I am 46. I have been a self-employed hairdresser for 23 years. I was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer (late September) that has crept into my lung and liver. I have 2 sons, 14 and 19. I will be unable to work for 6-8 months, best case scenario. I am trying to navigate what the government has to offer. With the government shutdown, the wheels are turning slow. This has left me with no income at this time.

I will need 3 rounds of chemo. Chemotherapy is every three weeks. Hopefully, the cancer will have shrunk enough to do surgery at that time. Surgery is estimated to require 6 weeks of recovery. The next step after surgery is 3 more rounds of chemo.

I woke up and have a completely different life right now. I’ve always been proud of being independent. This is me learning to ask for help. Please pray for me and my family. Thank you so much.