When I met Emalaya and her family for the first time in Chattanooga, I was 24 and Emalaya was eight years old. I had just moved out of my apartment in San Francisco and was drifting around the Eastern United States with a single backpack. During that first week in Chattanooga, two important things happened. The first was that my backpack got stolen. The second was that, through my future boyfriend/husband/love of my life, I met Matt, Page, Kowyn, and Emalaya, who scooped me up and made me a part of their family. That was 15 years ago.

In February, we got an email from Emalaya's dad, Matt, telling us that Emalaya had been diagnosed with stage 3 Nodular Sclerosing Hodgkin Lymphoma (NSHL). Two months earlier, she had started to feel pain in her abdomen. Her doctor ordered an ultrasound and an MRI which showed something unusual in her spleen. This was followed by a CT scan, which confirmed the presence of a tumor. Emalaya underwent surgery to remove two lymph nodes and some bone marrow for a biopsy which led to the NSHL diagnosis. Though the prognosis for this kind of cancer is highly curable, the oncologist insisted swift action be taken: because the spleen and some lymph nodes in her chest were affected, the best course of action would consist of 6 months of chemotherapy, which should be started as soon as possible.

In Matt's email, he asked for positive thoughts, intentions, and insights. My mind went to all the meals we had shared with Matt and Page and the kids on summer evenings; "Country Dinners" we called them. We ate whole hot peppers and then ran around the yard while the little girls screamed with laughter. When Matt emailed us his humble request for advice or ideas that could help his daughter, I thought of how our own daughter's first babysitter when she was an infant was then-15-year-old Emalaya, and how caring she was, and how we trusted her completely. I thought of Emalaya, two summers ago, sitting for hours with our seven-year-old, showing her how to make jewelry with the patience of a saint and the smile of an actual angel. I thought, yes, for sure we can do positive thoughts, but what else can we do for Emalaya?

Here's what your donations can provide for Emalaya and her loving family over the next 6 months:

Though she can't work her day job at this time, Emalaya is continuing to make her own beautiful jewelry at home and list it in her Etsy store.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could help grow her small business this year? This is another meaningful way you could support her: Good Luck Handcrafted

To know Emalaya is to love her. An avid reader and passionate about sustainable farming, jewelry making, and nature, Emalaya is hoping to enroll in a Land Stewardship Program at the University of Colorado. Her resolution for 2023 was to travel to as many new places as possible, namely Vermont and the southwestern U.S.; a dream which in spite of her treatment, she has not totally shelved. She is full of hope and gratitude for her community and its support, in all its forms. Here's Emalaya in her own words, from an Instagram post earlier this month:

"In February I was diagnosed with hodgekins lymphoma, a cancer within my lymphatic system.

When waiting for initial results to come back I focused on the hope that my scans would be free of any cancer, but that alone did not feel complete, so I also asked that the universe allow me to learn the lessons I am meant to learn through this experience regardless of the results. So honoring that wish I am grateful for the road ahead and what it is bound to teach me.

I know that this news can bring up feelings of shock or worry, but I ask that you channel those into positive thoughts of healing for me.

The outlook for my case being cured is quite good. And I know that my body and mind are strong."

Out of the trial presented by this illness, Emalaya is creating a new energy and positive force in the world. Talking with Emalaya and her family the other day, the idea of community and vulnerability came up. Asking for help can be discouraged in our society, but they have found that doing so is often met with surprising and gratifying goodwill—a goodwill that receives with gratitude and in turn gives generously. It’s in this spirit of community, goodwill, and giving that we ask you to consider contributing to Emalaya’s recovery fund.