Hi, friends. As we all have found out within the last couple of months (if not years), life continues to have its way with my sister, Jennifer. A strong woman who has been continually dealt the wrong hand in life. You also know my sister isn’t the kind of person who likes to ask for help. It has reached a point where she can no longer afford to do that.

My sister has been in and out of the emergency room for months, unable to get any answers as to what could possibly be wrong. Until one day in June, where she finally got her answer after finding her heart surrounded by fluid. Acute Myeloid Leukemia, which is basically late-stage leukemia. Jenn and her doctors took immediate action, but she failed two rounds of induction therapy. Her first initial round of chemo took her counts from 40% to 6%. Jenn was hopeful, knowing that she would be eligible for a bone marrow transplant if her numbers were down to at least 5%. It looked as if her numbers would continue to go down, so they started another round of chemo. The doctors said they would be surprised if she wasn’t down to zero. Her biopsy results came back, but the cancer was more aggressive, her counts going back up to 19%. Not ideal in the least, but my sister continues to be strong and hopeful, not wanting to give up the fight. It has taken an extreme toll on her though. She has no immune system and a simple common cold could kill her. After having spent almost two months in the hospital, she’s finally able to go home for a bit before starting another aggressive another 28-day chemo trip.

Jenn lost her income on June, funds have been tight and expenses have been large. Having been out of work with no income, expenses have continued to pile up at home and medically. If chemo continues to not work, Jenn wants to apply for a clinical trial for drug trial or stem cell in Houston, Texas. If she’s accepted, she will be traveling for Houston which will be around twenty trips and even more expenses. She just needs a little help. Anything at all will help.

Jenn has a strong-will to live. She’s stubborn. She wants to live, especially for her children. Kara, who just gave birth to Jenn’s first grandchild, Isaac. Jenn found a new sense of hope when he was born before she received this diagnosis. For Donny, who is going to do great things in his life that Jennifer wants to be here to witness with her own eyes. For her youngest, Mackenzie, who just turned 13 years old and will need her mom, just as much as the rest of us have needed ours. She also has two other daughters, Macie and Lexi, that she considers one of her own and is extremely attached to and worries for on a daily basis.

My sister wants to live and is willing and ready to fight any battle necessary.