Hi everyone, my name is Trista-Lynn Puahala and I am 16 years old. A little information about me is that I am trying to graduate early, I love to wrestle and play flag football, I love art, I love shoes, clothes, shopping, etc.; basically just a typical teenage girl.

For over a year, I complained about back pains and got told it was nothing. In October, I went into the ER in Hilo for shortness of breath and sore ribs. After doing an X-ray and MRI, they said that my right lung was collapsed, I had fluids around my lung, and a big mass was smashing my right side lung. We got medevac to Kapiolani Hospital. On October 31st, I got told it was cancer. A couple of days later, I got told it was Ewing Sarcoma and it was stage 4. I was given a 30% chance at life.

My mom has been by my side through it all, like an ‘opihi sticks to a rock. She stopped working to care for me, and even though she never asks for help, I am old enough to understand that we could use it even though she tries to hide it from me. Bills still need to be paid, we need food, and with my weight fluctuating from all of this, sometimes I do need new clothes. I also have a brother she continues to provide for. We can’t always afford to bring him with us when we go to Oahu for treatment.

My mom thought about making a GoFundMe before, but I was in fear of what people would think. No one knew that I had cancer. But now I am being open about it and asking for help. I ask that anyone who knows her please don’t say anything to her yet, I want to see if this goes anywhere first and keep it a surprise.

Anything you can give or even just sharing this means so much! Thank you!