On March 6, 2020, at the age of 19, Kourtney was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Following a week of intense testing, it was discovered that she has Stage 4 Hodgkin's. While this news has come as an incredible shock to Kourtney and her loved ones, the good news is Hodgkin's Lymphoma has a very high cure rate and we, along with her doctors, are remaining optimistic. Altru Hospital here in Grand Forks has been wonderful and has acted so quickly to get Kourtney the necessary appointments to determine the best course of treatment. On March 17, 2020, Kourtney starts chemotherapy. She will go through chemo for several months and during this time she and her boyfriend, Caden, will likely miss a lot of work due to frequent chemo infusions, labs, and scans, as well as the potential side effects of chemo. In addition, chemo is very expensive, even with medical insurance, so there is no telling what kind of financial hurdles they may face even long after the cancer is gone.  On behalf of Kourtney and Caden, I am asking you to please consider a financial gift to help get them through this difficult time. Kourtney is so brave and strong, and Caden has been by her side every step of the way. Kourtney is ready to fight (and win!), but in order to do this, she needs our support!  If you're not able to give financially at this time, another way to support Kourtney in her battle is to pray. Send all the prayers, good vibes, and positive thoughts her way. If you'd like to follow along in her journey, please visit her CaringBridge site. My mom posts journal updates often and some words of encouragement would mean the world to us as a family. The link to her site is https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kourtneysinjem One last thing! I'm sure you've noticed that the world is going a bit crazy, and there is a lot of fear and uncertainty regarding COVID-19. This has caused shortages of basic things like hand sanitizer which are necessities to those who are immunocompromised. As she begins chemo, her immune system will be seriously compromised, so it is incredibly important that she and those around her take extra precaution. If you have a spare bottle of hand sanitizer and would like to get it to Kourtney, please let me know. This new virus poses a risk to us all, but especially Kourtney and others like her with underlying conditions. This also makes it difficult to raise funds in other ways, like in-person benefits, so for the time being this is the best way for us to help her out.  Thank you in advance for your support!