At the height of the pandemic, in June 2020, Jamila (Jamie) underwent emergency brain surgery after doctors discovered a 7-centimeter brain tumor (astrocytoma). Upon her release from the hospital, she faced an illegal eviction that became the subject of significant media attention, a deeply traumatic experience to face while still recovering from brain surgery. She then endured six weeks of radiation and six months of chemotherapy.

After completing treatment in 2021, Jamila developed Long COVID, which has caused debilitating fatigue and significantly limited her ability to work. Although her tumor remained stable for several years, in 2024 doctors discovered a new tumor as well as growth in the original tumor. Choosing to keep this recurrence private, Jamila underwent nine additional rounds of chemotherapy, completing treatment in December 2025.


After years of treatment and uncertainty, Jamila hoped she was finally turning a corner. Much of her 30s has been shaped by cancer, chronic illness, and recovery, leaving many of the plans and experiences she once envisioned perpetually deferred. Finishing treatment felt like an opportunity to begin reclaiming those lost years: to move to a new city, return to grad school, pursue a new career, travel, and build the life she had spent so long working toward. Unfortunately, that hope was short-lived.


In May 2026, just six months after completing chemotherapy, Jamila learned that her tumors had begun growing again. Her medical team is now preparing a more aggressive treatment plan that may include additional radiation and stronger chemotherapy. At the same time, she continues to manage the ongoing effects of Long COVID. Her doctors have encouraged her to view this not as a temporary setback, but as a long-term illness requiring ongoing treatment and monitoring.


Cancer and chronic illness affect far more than a person's health. They disrupt careers, finances, relationships, and the ability to plan for the future. Over the past several years, Jamila has done everything possible to continue working and supporting herself despite repeated treatments, scans, and health setbacks. But as she prepares for this next phase of treatment, her ability to work is expected to become even more limited, or in all likelihood, impossible.


As Jamila focuses her energy on treatment and recovery, we are asking for support to help ease the financial burden that comes with this next chapter. Donations will help cover medical expenses, everyday living costs, transportation to appointments, and the many practical challenges that arise when illness makes consistent employment difficult or impossible.


Every contribution, share, and message of encouragement means more than you know. Thank you for helping lighten the load and giving Jamila the space to focus on what matters most: her health, her healing, and time with the people she loves. Your support will help provide stability during an incredibly uncertain period and allow her to face the road ahead with one less burden to carry.