Hey everyone, my name is Amanda and I'd like to introduce you all to my chosen sister, Jess.

Jess is the loving mother of my nieces, Savannah (15) and Lawren (14) and my nephew, Will (25). She has been their primary parent for many years and she was the unwavering support for her girls when their father (my brother) passed 2 yrs ago.

Jess's mother passed away several years ago from metastatic cancer before my nieces were born. This prompted Jess to get genetic cancer testing, at which point she was told that she has Lynch Syndrome, an inherited genetic trait that increases the risk of certain cancers by an average of 50%. When Jess was given this news, she underwent a total hysterectomy.

Unfortunately and abruptly a few weeks ago, Jess was sent to the hospital for low blood counts and underwent testing showing that she has colon cancer and she will be undergoing a radical total resection this week (5/20). Her recovery will include almost a week in the hospital and nearly 2 months out of work, which will be unpaid. Clearly, this will be a difficult time for her and my nieces, and I am reaching out to the village for help as 2 months of very limited income will make it nearly impossible for her to make ends meet.

As you can imagine, this was very difficult news for her children to hear as not only did they find out that their mother has cancer, but they will all need to be tested for this very terrifying genetic trait later in life.

Will and his fiancé, Courtney, our chosen sister, Erica, as well as my partner Val and I, will be caring for the girls while Jess is in the hospital, and helping them through recovery, but regardless this will be a difficult journey for them all.

Jess has conquered single parenting in such an admirable way, and she is the type of mother that I could only strive to be. She has been incredibly strong for her kids, especially in the last 2 years, and this will certainly be difficult for her to not be able to work and support her family.

We created this fundraiser to help ease that burden, so our beloved sister and her family can focus on what matters most: treatment, comfort, hope, and being together.

Any contribution, no matter the amount, will make a meaningful difference. Please also consider other types of offering including gift cards for restaurants or DoorDash. I am happy to provide my email for these types of donations to be sent virtually if you would like to message me privately. I will certainly forward all proceeds to Jess and her family.

If you are unable to donate, sharing this page or keeping her and our family in your thoughts and prayers is deeply appreciated.