Hi everyone,

2025 has been an incredibly difficult year for our family. It began with uncertainty around my job as a federal employee, followed by the heartbreaking loss of my grandfather over the summer. Between frequent trips to Florida to help care for my grandparents (including my grandmother whom has a terminal cancer diagnosis) and trying to keep things stable at home, we thought the worst was behind us.

Sadly, it wasn’t.

A few weeks ago, after what we believed was a simple case of pneumonia, my mom ended up in the ER. Multiple hospital visits later, we received devastating news: she has Stage IIIB squamous cell lung cancer. She begins an aggressive treatment plan on December 15th, involving 6 weeks of chemotherapy and 30 radiation sessions. Despite this diagnosis and the difficult treatments in our future, we are still make sure to stay positive and hopeful during this time.

Unfortunately, when it rains, it pours. Complications from the tumor have already caused a dangerous obstruction of her superior vena cava, resulting in more emergency visits and procedures. While she has Medicare, it does not come close to covering the total cost of her treatment. With her limited disability income and my single salary, we are stretched beyond our limit.

Then, as if life hadn’t already taken enough turns, our dog Molly decided to add to the chaos and financial burden by tearing the ligaments in her knee. She now needs orthopedic surgery and cannot walk on her leg until it’s repaired. This added expense has pushed us past what we can handle.

Between caring for my grandparents in Florida, my mom’s sudden cancer diagnosis, and Molly’s urgent surgery, our emergency funds have been completely depleted. I am doing everything I can, but we’re out of options—so I’m humbly asking for help.

The overwhelming out-of-pocket expenses that we are facing and that your donation will go directly towards are the:

• Remaining hospital and diagnostic bills not covered by Medicare

• Chemotherapy and radiation co-pays

• Transportation to and from daily treatment

• Emergency procedure costs related to the SVC obstruction

• Molly’s orthopedic surgery and post-operative care

• Household bills while I take time off for caregiving

• Ongoing follow-up scans, labs, and medications

Our projected uncovered expenses are several thousand dollars, and every contribution—no matter the amount—helps lighten a burden we simply can’t carry alone.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story. Thank you for sharing it. And thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to everyone who can donate. Your kindness brings us hope during one of the hardest and most overwhelming seasons of our lives. When this storm finally calms, I promise to pay forward the kindness we receive.

We are fighting for more time, more healing, and more good days. Your support helps make that possible.

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More About Our Family

I work as a contractor for the U.S. Army, running a lab focused on developing new antibiotics to protect our troops and allies. Since 2020, I’ve also been my mother’s full-time caregiver.

My father—my mother’s soulmate and the financial backbone of our family—passed away unexpectedly from a massive heart attack at just 49 years old. My mom, who has lived with chronic pain and fibromyalgia for years, had to move in with me while I was finishing my PhD. We’ve leaned on each other ever since. She is my best friend, and facing the possibility of losing another parent so young is devastating. She doesn’t deserve another battle this big, and I am doing everything in my power to help her fight it.

Molly, our 8-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, has been part of our family since I rescued her at 9 months old from a neglectful home. She has come so far and means the world to us. Watching her struggle to walk is heartbreaking, and I want to get her the surgery she needs as soon as possible.