Erika and I have been friends since we were 7 years old. In over three decades of friendship, I have definitely seen this woman overcome more than her fair share of hardships. But now, I fear she may have met her match.

Last week, Erika went in to the dermatologist to have a spot on her nose looked at. Her last doctor had been treating her with antibiotics for over two years and it was not getting any better. The dermatologist ran a biopsy and confirmed the fear that had been looming in Erika's mind for some time.....it was basal cell skin cancer.

Cancer. It's a word that has become so familiar in our cultural lexicon that most of us barely bat an eyelash when we hear it. But when you hear a doctor tell you that YOU have it, it's a word that can paralyze you. The doctor was confident, however, that it would be removed with surgery and Erika would not need any type of chemo or radiation. They scheduled her for surgery a few days later.

But unfortunately, the story doesn't end there. When they got her into surgery, they found that their initial prognosis was incorrect. The cancer had, in fact, spread into the bone around her nose. Erika's nose bone would now have to be removed.

Erika now needs to have at least three surgeries to remove the rest of the cancer and reconstruct her nose. Her husband Rick,  with whom she celebrates 20 years of marriage on August 12th, will most likely be out of work at least a month to help support her recovery. During this time, they will have no income coming in. They are looking into applying for assistance but with the pandemic forcing so many additional people to be applying right now, it would likely be 6-8 weeks at the earliest before a decision would even be reached.

I have set up this GoFundMe to ask for anyone who can to help them out. I know these are trying times for everyone and everyone's budgets are stretched. But if you have an extra dollar, two, or five, please consider helping this family out during this challenging time. 

Thank you in advance for your time and for your support for my dear friend and her family.