Looking back throughout my life, there’s one thing that’s always been there. A rock, a foundation that’s been my absolute support system since I was born. And that is my mom, Karen Stine. I feel confident in saying this for my sister. And also for my dad since the day he met her.

This January, my mom had surgery to remove a large tumor on the left side of her brain. After a biopsy, we received the worst news of our lives: my mom was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a type of cancer that is still incurable. Our job now is to manage her care, make her as comfortable as possible, and to make sure she's with us for as many years as medically possible.

Through all of this—the brain surgery, the diagnosis of glioblastoma, the radiation and chemo, the speech difficulties and the seizures—my mom is doing her part: she's fighting like hell. My dad, my sister and myself will give everything we got to get our rock back to a place of health and happiness again. We are also asking our friends and family for whatever support they're able to give. We will forever be grateful for the phone calls, prayers and beautiful care packages: these mean the world to all of us, and every simple text makes my mom's fight a little less taxing.

All that said, if you have the means, we're asking for a small measure of financial support as well. With the very high risk of seizures, not to mention everything else that goes into rehabilitation, my dad can no longer leave my mom alone, so consistent work isn't really an option. He has to be the rock for her that she's been to him since the day they met.