My name is Jewel, and I am Aaliyah’s sister. I’m creating this fundraiser because watching someone you love fight for their life is something no one is ever prepared for.

Aaliyah is now twenty years old and has been battling medical conditions since she was just four. She is currently at Oishei Children’s Hospital, where she has been for the past five months. She is fighting astrocytoma brain tumors, along with tumors on her spine and cysts pressing on vital nerves. She is undergoing intensive treatment, including chemotherapy, and now relies on a feeding tube as part of her care.

Because of everything her body has endured, she now has to relearn how to walk. While others her age are chasing dreams, my sister is fighting just to take steps again. She should be planning her future, not fighting to survive it.

The hardest moments are the quiet ones. When I visit her and she looks at me with tears in her eyes and begs me to help her, my heart breaks.

Just this past summer, before becoming critically ill, Aaliyah started her own baking business. She was so proud of herself. For the first time, she felt independent and hopeful.

Our mother has remained faithfully by Aaliyah’s side and has been unable to work. Inpatient rehabilitation, daily hospital expenses, medical equipment, household bills, and the possibility of traveling out of town for specialized care have created overwhelming financial strain on our family.

We are asking for help to ease this burden as Aaliyah continues this fight.

Despite everything, she still believes she will overcome this. And we believe with her. Thank you for standing with Aaliyah