Help Shelly Merkley Beat Cancer

Today Shelly and her family received the disheartening news that she has stage four colon cancer. The cancer has already spread to her lymph nodes and because of the advanced stage Shelly no longer has the option to receive radiation. The next step in her journey will be to receive chemotherapy.

Shelly is not only a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, and sister, but we know that she is a beloved member of her community as well. Through her adventures as a preschool teacher, Shelly has touched the lives of so many people. Not only has she had the honor of shaping the minds of our next generation, but she has made many cherished friends along the way. As a devoted member of her church, Shelly has made many more friends.

It’s hard to say just how many lives Shelly has touched throughout her life, but we know it has been many. Anyone who knows Shelly knows just how kind, generous, understanding, and sincere she is. To know Shelly is, quite simply, to love her, and it’s easy to see why she has so many amazing people standing behind her.

We are eternally grateful for all of the support that Shelly has received through prayer, kind words, listening ears, and the many other acts of kindness that have been offered. To all of you who have been there to help Shelly in any way throughout her journey, we thank you.

While they never hesitate to lend a helping hand when asked, they never ask for help themselves, no matter how difficult the circumstances. But they cannot embark on this journey alone. We are so comforted to know that Shelly has so many amazing people around her to encourage and support her along her journey. While we know that Dave and Shelly don’t want to ask for help, we also know that the financial burden of cancer treatments, doctor visits, and previous hospitalizations are too much for them to handle alone.