*Funds raised will go directly toward chemotherapy, hospital stays, transfusions, stem cell transplant preparation, travel for treatment, ongoing cancer care, and relief from the financial strain of essential monthly bills.

I am fighting Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - without health insurance.

I lost my job and coverage in July 2025, and found out we do not qualify for financial assistance.

Every part of my treatment is being paid for out of pocket.*

This is not something we ever imagined writing - but we are asking for help because the alternative is unthinkable.

I am currently hospitalized and being treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). I do not have health insurance. I lost my job and coverage in July 2025, and while my husband Greg works full-time, his income places us just above eligibility for Medicaid, disability, or state financial assistance. As a result, we are responsible for the entire cost of life-saving cancer treatment out of pocket.

A rare genetic risk — and a known road:

When I was 16, I was diagnosed with a rare inherited genetic mutation called RUNX1. This mutation affects normal blood cell development and function. Clinically, it is associated with:

RUNX1 mutations are rare, and at the time of discovery, my family was one of only 15 known families worldwide with this condition. This discovery came after devastating but ultimately lifesaving circumstances:

Because of this mutation, I have required special medical protocols my entire life — including platelet transfusions before surgeries and aggressive infection monitoring. I have previously gone septic when my infection risk was not taken seriously. Self-advocacy has never been optional for me; it has been necessary for survival.

What led to my diagnosis

On December 19, 2025, my health declined rapidly and alarmingly. I developed:

After symptoms worsened despite attempting to manage what I believed was a serious infection, Greg and I went to the emergency room. My lab results were critical:

The hospital repeated testing multiple times to rule out error. After blood smears, extensive labs, and a bone marrow biopsy, I was transferred to Northside Hospital in Atlanta, where I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

While ALL is more common — and more easily treated — in children, it is far more complex and aggressive in adults. My treatment plan includes intensive chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant. This will be a long, physically demanding road.

Why we need help

We were preparing to grow our family. Instead, we are fighting for my life.

Because I lost my insurance and do not qualify for assistance, every hospital stay, transfusion, chemotherapy treatment, medication, and transplant-related cost falls entirely on us. The financial burden is staggering, layered on top of physical pain, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion.

If you are able to help in ANY way — whether by donating, sharing this fundraiser, or praying for us — please know it truly matters. No amount is too small. Community is what carries people through moments like this.

We believe God still moves mountains. Sometimes, He does it through people.

Our fundraising goal reflects the real cost of prolonged cancer treatment without health insurance — including chemotherapy, transfusions, hospital stays, travel to specialty care, stem cell transplant preparation, and essential living expenses during months of treatment and recovery. Without insurance, even a single hospital stay or chemotherapy cycle can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This support allows us to focus on healing and survival, rather than the constant fear of financial collapse.

Thank you for reading, caring, and standing with us.

With the deepest gratitude,

Kelsey & Greg Holgate