Hi, my name is Kiah, and I’m creating this fundraiser for my sister, Shannon Persinger.

In just a few weeks, Shannon will be undergoing unexpected open heart surgery — her first as an adult.

While she’s no stranger to heart-related procedures (she’s faced several throughout her life), this surgery is more intense and complicated than anything she’s gone through before, and the road to recovery will be long.

Shannon is a homeschooling mom to two amazing kids — a lively 2-year-old and a bright 7-year-old. She’s also a licensed mental health professional who runs her own private practice, which she’ll have to step away from completely during recovery. On top of that, she and her husband have served faithfully in ministry for over a decade — her husband has been pastoring in their church for more than 10 years, and Shannon has been by his side in ministry since their college days.

To put it simply: While she focuses on healing, they’ll be losing about half of their monthly income. And as you can imagine, the medical bills, child care needs, and day-to-day expenses won’t pause just because life has.

If you know Shannon, you know she’s incredibly strong, compassionate, and deeply committed to serving others — whether that’s her clients, her community, or her family. She loves helping people heal, and now it’s her turn to be supported through her own healing process.

She’s also passionate about staying active and has a personal goal to rebuild her strength after surgery so she can get back to the gym and feel strong in her body again.

I’m asking for your help on her behalf. Every donation — no matter the size — will make a meaningful difference in easing the financial strain on her family while she recovers.

And if you can’t give, simply sharing this with your friends and community would mean the world.

Thank you for being part of Shannon’s support system — we are so grateful.

With love and gratitude,

Kiah