Hello, my name is Amy, I am working with an amazing crew of friends and family to help raise money for my older sister, Jessi! She has recently been diagnosed with small cell adenocarcinoma, lung cancer, stage 4. This is shocking for so many reasons, especially since Jessi is not currently and has not been a smoker in the past!

Many know her as a fantastically talented artist, know her infectious sense of humor, have experienced and witnessed her love and kindness first hand! She loves and supports her girls with all she is, and everyone that comes along side her. She recharges her soul by riding her horse or her motorcycle, painting or drawing, or engaging in shenanigans.

Late this summer she noticed a nagging pain in her hip while riding, she sought care from chiropractors and physical therapists at the direction of her primary care doctor. While those things helped a bit, her pain was consistently and rapidly getting worse, to the point that she could no longer bare weight on her right hip, it was too painful. This prompted further imaging from her doctors, and this is where they discovered she has a mass on her pelvis. More imaging shows a mass in her lungs as well. A biopsy of the mass on her pelvis showed cancer. She was able to get into an oncology surgeon in St. Louis on Tuesday 11/14, to get some pins placed in her pelvis to provide support and stability. The mass had deteriorated enough of the pelvis that she easily could have fractured it with any amount of weight placed on the hip.

Once she was back home after the surgery she met with her team of doctors guiding her on radiation and chemotherapy treatments. She started radiation on her lung on 11/27, and has one more week of that. Will start chemotherapy in a couple of weeks, and has been cleared by her surgeon to start radiation on the pelvis as well. The doctors are encouraging her that this can be managed with the radiation and chemo, but that she will likely have this for the rest of her life in some fashion. What that truly looks like, we don't know. The goal is to shrink the mass in the lung and on the pelvis with the therapies, and monitor. As they shrink she will have less pain on her hip and be able to begin physical therapy to regain strength in her leg. She has been off work since October 7th, when she was no longer able to use either her crutches or her walker to get around, this was a liability at her work, and they sent her home. Between her daughters , room-mate, boy friend, and other friends and family, she has been chauffeured to all of her appointments. It is her goal to get mobile enough to go without her walker and back to work!

We all know that medical is expensive, and no one can "afford" all of the expenses that come along with cancer. For those of us that know her, think of how much she has blessed your life, and consider donating to her care. For those that maybe don't know her, please consider joining her network of love and support! We all know that our lives will continue to be enriched and blessed by Jessi's amazing character and personality! Please help to bless her as she has others!