Hi everyone.

This year has been a lot.

Earlier this year, my grandpa (my mom’s dad) got really sick with an aggressive cancer. It all happened fast and our whole family kind of put life on pause to take care of him and spend as much time with him as we could. My mom is self-employed, so when she stepped away from work to help care for him, there wasn’t really a backup plan financially. We don’t regret that time for a second, but it definitely set her back.

We were just starting to catch our breath after losing him when something else happened…

My mom ended up in the hospital with jaundice, during which the doctors found a suspicious lump near her pancreas. She’s already been there for over a week while they’ve been running tests. During the biopsy, she developed pancreatitis, which has kept her in even longer.

It’s been scary and exhausting.

The one piece of good news is that doctors said it’s basically a miracle they found this so early. Right now it’s still considered pre-cancerous and contained, and they’re planning to treat it aggressively so it never becomes something worse. For that, we are so incredibly grateful.

But the treatment means more time in the hospital and about 2 months of recovery where she won’t be able to work at all.

When you’re self-employed, no work means no income. There’s no paid leave. No cushion. And after already missing so much work earlier this year, this is hitting hard.

I’m doing everything I can to help, but I don’t do the same line of work she does. I know the basics and I’ll be attempting to keep her clients satisfied while she’s recovering and while also working my own job, but the truth is, I can’t fully step in the way she needs. And right now, she’s stressed about the mortgage, the heat, electricity… all the normal bills that don’t stop just because life gets overwhelming.

Any money raised will go towards covering:

• Mortgage payments

• Utilities (heat, electric, water)

• Medical expenses

• Basic living costs while she recovers

The goal is to let her focus on healing instead of panicking about falling behind.

If you’re able to donate, even a small amount, it would mean more than you know. And if you can’t, sharing this helps just as much.

My mom has always been the one who shows up for everyone else. This year she showed up for her dad until the very end. Now I’m hoping we can show up for her.

Thank you for reading,

xo