Together, our family has quietly been facing the most challenging year of our lives. At the end of December 2022, our family learned our father, Ray, was diagnosed with Stage 2 Esophageal Cancer. Our mom, Lillie, hasn’t left his side since.

With no time to waste, in hopes of shrinking the tumor, his first round of Chemotherapy began in early January. An Esophagectomy surgery was ultimately scheduled to remove the tumor on June 9th, a week after their second daughter’s wedding.

Simultaneously, after an exploratory procedure a mass was found in our mom’s uterus, and a full hysterectomy was scheduled for - you guessed it - June 9th.

Ray and Lillie are high school sweethearts and have built a beautiful life together. This year they’ll be celebrating their 39th wedding anniversary. With their surgeries scheduled on the same day and at the same hospital, it only added to the weight of the situation.

Just days before his daughter’s wedding, Ray learned his cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and he was no longer eligible for surgery. With his diagnosis progressing to stage 4, he broke the devastating news to our family the morning after the wedding.

The next week our mom went in for her surgery, where they removed and biopsied the mass. We anxiously awaited the results.

Unfortunately the tumor was cancerous, but by the grace of God did not spread. They caught it early. She has been cancer free ever since.

Mere days after Lillie’s surgery, Ray began his next round of treatments. For the next 6 months Ray would undergo nearly 50 rounds of treatment - immuno and chemotherapy.

With the 2024 new year, came a new treatment - Radiation. And, just as we were waiting for that to begin, on January 11, 2024, Ray was rushed to the ER, where the medical staff performed life saving surgery. Ray was admitted into the ICU where he remained a patient for ten days with heart and lung complications.

His pericardial and pleural effusions, which landed him in the ICU, were a result of side effects from his cancer. Although Ray was discharged from the hospital, he continues to need in-home nursing care several times a week.

Since this time Ray has finished 15 days of radiation, had another hospital stay and will begin another round of chemotherapy soon.

Ray is a loving husband and father, a man of honor, courage and strength. He is our rock, even through all of this. He is a selfless provider, and you’ll never hear him complain. Due to the the multiple hospital visits in 2024, Ray is on disability in hopes to regain his strength.

We are now reaching out with humble hearts to ask for your support in easing the burden of endless medical bills. Your contributions will make a meaningful difference in helping Ray cover the costs of necessary treatments and care while he is unable to work at this time.

We have faith that God will heal him. With love, we thank you in advance for your contributions and ask that you keep Ray in your thoughts and prayers.

-Jillian, Erica and Lauren