Today is supposed to be a day full of celebrating my best friend, Cally. Instead, just days before her birthday, her entire world changed. Last Friday, Cally was diagnosed with breast cancer. Nothing prepares you for hearing words like that. One moment you’re planning normal life — work, family, birthdays, future plans — and the next you’re facing doctor appointments, scans, treatment options, fear, and uncertainty.

If you know Cally, you know she is the kind of person who shows up for everyone else first. She is loving, selfless, strong, and the person people lean on when life gets hard. Now it’s our turn to show up for her. Over the coming weeks and months, Cally will be facing appointments, treatments, time away from work, medical expenses, travel costs, and the emotional toll that comes with fighting cancer. We want to help relieve even a small piece of that burden so she can focus on healing and spending time with the people she loves most.

No one should have to fight this battle alone. If you are able to donate — no matter the amount — it would mean more than words can say. And if you can’t donate, sharing this fundraiser and keeping Cally in your prayers means everything too. For her birthday this year, we’re asking for something different: Help us surround Cally with love, support, and hope as she begins this fight. We believe in her strength. We believe in her fight. And we believe she does not have to walk through this alone. Thank you for loving Cally with us. — Keilynn