I never imagined I would be writing something like this, but our family is facing an incredibly painful reality.

At the end of October, my sister, Anne, was rushed to the hospital in severe pain. After an MRI, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent surgery to remove what was possible of that tumor, but the location prevented doctors from reaching it all. Two weeks later, our hearts were broken when the pathology reports came back: the diagnosis is a terminal grade 4 tumor.

Anyone who knows Anne knows she is a fighter, and she is fighting this with everything she has. She will be starting radiation and chemotherapy to give us as much time as possible with her. We know how precious time is, and now more than ever, we want every moment we can get.

Anne’s greatest wish right now is to have her sons and grandson by her side. Because of the distance and the nature of her diagnosis, we need to get her sons and her grandson to her as quickly as possible. Every moment together is precious.

We are trying to arrange travel for five people: Anne’s two sons, her grandson, her daughter-in-law (to help care for the little one), and myself. Between the high cost of last-minute flights (close to $3,500 alone), lodging, and transportation, the financial hurdle is more than we can carry alone.

I would not normally ask for help like this, but my family is still financially recovering from a very difficult year as well. Last year, my youngest daughter was involved in a serious accident, was life-flighted to a larger hospital, and underwent three surgeries over the course of a year (her last surgery being this last June). That crisis completely depleted our savings and left us without the extra resources for this urgent trip.

This situation is made even more difficult because Anne does not currently have health insurance. Her husband recently started a new job, but benefits are not yet available. She was denied Medicaid due to household income, and her Social Security disability application is still pending.

Any funds raised will go directly toward bringing Anne’s children and grandson to see her. Anything above that will go to helping make this time with Anne as peaceful, meaningful, and filled with as much love as possible.

If anyone is willing to donate American Airlines miles or points, that support could significantly reduce the cost of flights. Please feel free to message me directly if that’s an option.

If you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing this page. Even that helps more than you know.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping us give Anne what matters most right now — time with the people she loves.