Help Support Linda Lilia Ray’s Cancer Journey

On February 17th, our world shifted. That’s the day we found out our mom has cancer — and not long after, we learned it’s stage 3 colon cancer. It was one of those moments that splits life into “before” and “after.” Since then, our family has been walking this road together — with fear and hope, hand in hand.

If you’ve ever met our mom, you know how special she is. And if you haven’t, let me tell you a little about Linda Lilia Ray.

She’s 62 years old, married for 39 years to our dad, Lewis Ray. She’s the proud mom of my brother Elvis and me, Kimberly. We’re all really close, and our mom is the kind of person who just makes life better. She’s full of light — fun to be around, grateful for the simple things, gentle in spirit. She’s an avid reader. A direct quote from her recently: “I downloaded four new books to my Kindle — should be good for a few days.” Translation: three days, tops.

When she’s not reading, she’s outside in her flower garden or inside tending her mini jungle of houseplants. And if you come over, don’t be surprised if she insists on feeding you — it’s kind of her love language.

Seeing her go through chemo has been hard. She’s usually a ball of energy, so the fatigue has been tough to watch. She started chemo the last week of March. The plan is four months of intravenous chemo, followed by six weeks of radiation with oral chemo, to shrink the tumor before surgery. Through it all, she’s stayed incredibly positive — visualizing herself healed and even running a 5K. That’s just who she is.

We are incredibly thankful for her oncology team. So far, her side effects have been pretty manageable, mostly just low energy.

But — as many of you know — navigating cancer also means navigating the healthcare system. And that comes with a mountain of bills. Between treatments, travel (she’s an hour and a half from the cancer center), and time off work to care for her, the financial strain is real.

So here we are, humbly asking for help. If you know our mom, or our family, or if you just feel moved to support — anything helps. Send prayers for the spirit and cash for the bills.

All funds will go toward her treatment, travel, and care during this time. I’ll keep everyone updated as we walk this journey together.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

— Kimberly (and the whole Flores and Ray family)