Hi, my name is Lillian and I’m 17 years old. I never imagined I would be writing something like this, but my family is going through one of the hardest seasons of our lives, and we could really use support.

Back in May, my family was involved in a boating accident. My mom, my stepdad, and my 4-year-old brother were all affected. Since then, life has felt like a constant uphill battle. My stepdad has been in severe pain for months. In June, he had back surgery, but it didn’t bring much relief. After continuing to struggle daily, he had a major 7-level spinal fusion surgery in Denver, Colorado on December 18. The surgery went well, and we finally felt a sense of hope that things might start getting better.

On December 31, my stepdad fell, so we went to the hospital to make sure his back surgery was still healing properly. During a CT scan of his back, doctors unexpectedly found a mass on his right kidney. What was supposed to be a precautionary visit turned into life-changing news.

On Monday, January 5, we met with a urologist who diagnosed my stepdad with kidney cancer. He now needs to have his entire right kidney removed, with surgery scheduled for January 15. Right now, doctors do not believe the cancer has spread, and we are holding onto so much hope that removing the kidney will remove the cancer before it has a chance to spread anywhere else.

Between the accident, multiple surgeries, traveling out of state for care, missed work, and now cancer, the financial and emotional weight on my family has been overwhelming. My mom and stepdad have done everything they can to stay strong for us, especially for my little brother, but this has been more than anyone could prepare for.

If you are able to donate, share, or even just keep my family in your thoughts and prayers, it would mean the world to us. Every single share helps, and every bit of support reminds us that we are not alone during this incredibly scary time. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for helping us hold onto hope.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️