Help Our Mom Fight Cancer (and Prepare for Whatever Comes Next)

Hi everyone,

We’re Jen’s kids—Ashley, Jarrod Jr., Jenna, and James.

This isn’t something we ever thought we’d be writing. Our mom—our fiercely loving, stubborn, hilarious, take-care-of-everyone-else-before-herself mom—was recently diagnosed with Small Cell Lung Cancer. It’s aggressive. It’s scary. And treatment has to start immediately.

We’ve spent the past few days doing what our mom always does for everyone else—putting on a brave face, making a plan, and holding each other up. But the truth is, we’re terrified.

If you know our mom, you know she’s built her life around taking care of people and pets. She’s poured her heart into her family and her business, MHK Pet Sitter here in Manhattan, Kansas. She’s the one people call when they need help. She’s the one who shows up when things get hard.

Now… it’s her turn to need help.

What We’re Asking For:

We’ve set up this fundraiser to help cover the mountain of expenses coming our way:

    •    Medical Bills – Tests, biopsies, chemotherapy, radiation… all of it. She’s uninsured, and we’re already seeing how fast the bills pile up.

    •    Living Expenses – As much as she wants to keep working, cancer doesn’t care about work schedules. Our dad, Jarrod, is trying to hold things together for both the business and our family while being there for her.

    •    Family Support – We all want to be with her during treatments and whatever comes next. That means time away from work, travel, and everything else life throws at us.

    •    End-of-Life Planning – This is the part none of us want to type, but here we are. As much as we hope she’ll fight this and win, we also need to be realistic. If things take a turn, we want her final wishes handled with dignity—without adding financial stress on top of our heartbreak.

Why This Means So Much:

Our mom is the heart of our family. She’s been our protector, our loudest cheerleader, our comic relief, and honestly… our rock. She’s fought for us in every way you can imagine—now it’s our turn to fight for her.

We know times are hard for a lot of people. But if you can help—whether it’s a donation, a share, or just a kind word—we would be forever grateful.

Thank you for loving our mom. Thank you for helping her fight.

With love and all the hope in the world,

Ashley, Jarrod Jr., Jenna, and James

PS.  Mom would want us to say to give your furkids a big hug from her.