Have you ever heard a story about someone, maybe even a friend or loved one and thought , wow, I can't believe what they are going through! What if it were me?? What would the people around me do to help me out if I were in that situation? Well, this is Tonja Pektas's story.

In 2021, Tonja was diagnosed with cancer- Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma (EHE), an extremely rare blood vessel sarcoma in her lungs. Only a few hundred people a year are diagnosed with this type of cancer..... It is so rare that there is no standard treatment. And now it has metastasized to her liver causing her almost constant pain. Her oncologist and interventional radiologist want to do a liver ablation procedure called NanoKnife, which has been shown to kill the tumor, possibly saving her life! This is a five-hour surgery and hospital stay in Miami. As you can imagine, this is a costly surgery that is only partially covered by insurance, if at all. They are currently going through the approval process again but have been denied twice!

LET'S HELP TONJA GET THIS SURGERY PEOPLE!

Tonja has five children and two grandchildren. She works two part-time jobs and homeschools her two youngest children. And this year she even volunteered as the director of our homeschool community. She puts herself in a place of service to others and she is the one with cancer! Through everything, she shows up every week with a smile on her face and joy in her heart. You can see the strength of her faith carrying her through and its so beautiful. She is trusting in God's plan and asking Him for healing.

Our hope is that we could raise the money needed for Tonja's surgery. Every little bit helps and when we all get together, it could make a big difference! Let's all get together and bless Tonja and shower how much she is loved!