I'm Amanda, and I created this fundraiser to ask for financial help in the wake of my father's death. My dad was diagnosed with Glioblastoma about 16 months ago. Glioblastoma is stage 4 brain cancer, and it's considered human's most aggressive cancer. He took this diagnosis in stride, like everything else in his life, and fought hard for 16 months. Without a complaint, he underwent two different brain surgeries, 30 rounds of radiation to the infected area of his brain, at least 5 different chemotherapy treatments and wore a device on his head 24/7 for a time to try to prevent the tumor from growing. The God awful thing about Glioblastoma is that they just don't ever stop growing, so while the various treatments brought us precious time with him, it was not enough. With broken hearts and so much love, we said goodbye to him yesterday morning, a moment none of us will ever forget.

My dad was a father for the majority of his life. He had me at 21, my sister Julia at 29 and then our surprise twin brother and sister at the ripe age of 41. He has worked since he was 15 years old, and never stopped. He was the sole financial support of our family, while my stepmom spent her entire adult life raising me and my siblings, and she's still not done. My brother and sister are only 12 years old now. The last year and a half, she has devoted herself to his care, and she did an amazing job as his nurse and caregiver. But now reality has set in, and so has the bills. My dad was unable to work for the last 6 months of his life, although he tried. He was recovering from brain surgery and radiation and still attempting to work from home, until it became too much for his overworked brain.

None of this was supposed to happen. They were supposed to grow old together, and retire together and raise their kids together. But that didn't happen, and no amount of money will change the situation. However, medical bills are coming due, and my stepmom is facing a new reality of being a single mom to two teenagers. If there is any relief we can provide to her financially, to give her some breathing room, that's what I'd like to do. Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this, and if money is not an option, please keep our families in your hearts and prayers as we begin to navigate life without the best man any of us will ever meet.