If you have ever wanted to meet someone who exemplified the phrase “pouring into others”, you don’t need to look any further than my wife, Katherine. I had the blessing of being reintroduced to her in the spring of 2024, and since then, not a day goes by that I’m not amazed by her tenacity and love for others, or that I’m not learning something new about her.

On the outside, Katherine is the picture of a dedicated, driven, and Lord-loving woman and director of Christian Education. When she’s not actively with her youth, she’s either thinking of ways to make their next event amazing. Or about the difficulties her youth are facing in the daily lives away from her. Or about how she can pour into them even more next time she sees them.

The list about how she gives of herself to other people, not just children, goes on and on.

But behind closed doors, it’s a wonder and a miracle from the Lord that she has the energy to do even a fraction of that.

I knew the Lord had big plans in mind for Katherine, when I first learned at the age of 4 she was diagnosed with Ganglioneuroblastoma; a cancer with one of the highest mortality rates for children. But with the Lord’s help, she beat that and kept on trucking.

Recently however, her, and now our, journey with the medical professions is not over. At the start of 2024, we learned that she had a brain cyst, specifically on her pineal gland. We happened to discover it when I got a call one evening at the gym, from her roommate saying that they were eating, and Katherine had lost the ability to speak. Many hours later, we learned about the cyst from the doctors, who said we just have to wait and see what it does, and if she ever lost the ability to look up, we needed to rush back.

Fast forward to our wedding, and weeks of lower back and side pain. While on our honeymoon, which I heard was supposed to be a time of bliss, our first night’s rest was interrupted by Katherine waking in aggravating pain, to the point that on the little island of Ocracoke I was afraid that I would need to call the ambulance before she passed out on the floor. After waking up, she insisted it was nothing and must have been bad food, until the following night, where it happened once more.

Back in Texas, we visited our favorite ER and we found out that not only did she need a cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder) but she also had a sizable growth in her uterus. We quickly had the gallbladder removed and she left for the Cool Water Tour 9 days post surgery and the National Youth Gathering immediately after, as she was not missing those two opportunities to connect with her youth.

Now we come to her most recent health change. With several medical professionals simply stating to wait to see if the growth in her uterus would change, Katherine’s intuition and pain encouraged us to keep seeking. After another ER visit, the Godsend of an incredible surgeon and specialist came to us at the right time, we were proven right that it needed to be removed as soon as possible. Following the surgery, we found out that the growth had been sent out to MD Anderson right before Thanksgiving, where they then sent it Mayo Clinic. We have yet to receive one definitive answer on what the growth is, but in “simple terms” it’s been classified as either a STUMP (Smooth Muscle Tissue with Unknown Malignant Potential) or a Myxoid Spindle Cell Neoplasm with malignant potential. Our gyn oncologist is an incredible woman and we are thankful as she helps us navigate what this means for us and our next steps. Currently, the professional’s from MD, Mayo and UT Southwestern’s recommendation would be another major surgery with an extra layer of grief attached because it would mean losing the ability for Katherine to carry any children. While that is not the plan yet, Katherine will continue to undergo testing to make sure that there is not cancer anywhere else in her body and for her surgeon to make a game plan of the next steps. More scans, more blood draws and more appointments are ahead for us in 2026.

This leads us to the point of this GoFundMe. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that in the short span of 2024 and 2025, that I’d find my best friend and wife, or that I’d have to walk with her through one of the most hectic and trying season of our lives. Marriages are never smooth sailing, but currently the biggest storm that we are weathering is that just as we begin to get our feet under us, another health wave washes over us financially.

I ask as a new husband and man watching his best friend struggle with health scares, uncertainty, and financial worry, any help spared is greatly appreciated.