My name is Nella, and since November 2025, my life has been turned upside down.

It started with severe stomach pain. I went to the emergency room and was told I had gallbladder stones. I tried to manage the pain and move forward, believing that was the cause. But the pain didn’t go away — it got worse. With the holidays right around the corner, I did what moms do: I pushed through. I wanted my children and family to have a beautiful, memorable Christmas, even while I was silently hurting.

On Christmas Day, the pain became unbearable. I went back to the hospital and was admitted for eight days. During that stay, doctors found a 3 cm mass on my liver. At first, they believed it was a liver abscess. After two CT scans and an MRI, they discovered it was cancer. At that time, they weren’t sure where it started and thought it may be connected to the bile ducts. I had a biopsy and was discharged with medications and follow-up appointments with a liver specialist and an oncologist — but those appointments were nearly a month away.

I asked to be seen sooner because I knew something wasn’t right, but I was told those were the earliest openings. As the weeks went on, my pain became more intense. Because of that worsening pain, additional imaging was finally done. That’s when I received devastating news: the tumor had grown rapidly — from 3 cm to 4 cm, and now to 6 cm — and the cancer had spread to my gallbladder and lymph nodes. My oncologist told me surgery is no longer an option. I now have stage 4 liver cancer and must begin chemotherapy.

This has been frightening and overwhelming. I’m deeply grateful that my loving mother, father, and cousin have been by my side, helping me advocate for my care and supporting me through every appointment, decision, and hard conversation. Their strength has helped carry me when I’ve felt too weak to stand on my own.

I will have my port placed on January 26, 2026, and I begin chemotherapy on January 29.

I am a strong Native American woman, and caring for others has always been my life’s purpose. I am the primary caregiver not only for my children, but also for members of my extended family. Two of my sisters live with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and our family’s plan has always been for me to help care for them as they get older. Their wellbeing depends on me, just as my children do.

I have three adult daughters, ages 32, 30, and 28, and my youngest son is just 8 years old. He is adopted, and being his mom is one of the greatest blessings of my life. My family depends on me in so many ways, and not being able to show up for them the way I always have is one of the hardest parts of this journey.

Since November, I’ve been in and out of the hospital, and I’ve fallen behind financially. Right now, I am $5,000 behind on essential bills. I plan to work as much as I can during chemotherapy, but we don’t know how my body will respond or how much I’ll realistically be able to work.

We are hoping to raise $7,500 to help during this time:

$5,000 to catch up on overdue bills

$2,500 to help cover my mortgage and basic living expenses while I go through treatment

I am a believer, and my faith is strong. I know I am not walking this road alone. I have a loving family, incredible friends, and a community that means everything to me. Your prayers, encouragement, and support give me strength on the hardest days.

If you are able to donate, please know that every dollar helps lift a weight off my shoulders so I can focus on healing and spending precious time with my family. If you can’t give financially, sharing this fundraiser and keeping me in your prayers means more than you know.

Thank you for standing with me as I face this fight with faith, love, and hope.

Nella