My name is Jessica, and I am fundraising for my best friend Kristal. She is a dedicated wife and mother of three exceptional children. She and her husband have been married for almost six years. After her husband returned home from 4 years of active duty in the Army, Kristal appreciates the quality time they share with one another and as a family. Their oldest is twelve, their middle child is six, and their youngest is newly born. Kristal has always spent a lot of her free time investing in her children's education and wellness. She takes pride in regularly being present with her children and engaging them in enriching activities.

On top of being a full-time mother and wife, Kristal also has a career in social work and teaches yoga. She enjoys giving back to the community, being in nature and participating in holistic wellness practices.

In October of 2021, 3 months into her pregnancy, Kristal noticed a red bump on her tounge. After researching what it could be, she thought it was just a canker sore. The sore began to go away but then a few resurfaced a couple of months later. She thought they would heal again but they did not. The symptoms became worse over time. With her being pregnant, she was afraid of going to the hospital and being placed on numorous medications that could potentially be passed along to her baby. After her baby was born in early April, she could not take the pain any longer and decided to see a dentist. During her dental visit, she was told the sores were due to stress and was sent on her way. Not being satisfied with the dentist's suggestion, she went to the emergency room a week later. The ER doctor believed it may be a disease or some form of cancer and reffered her to an oral surgeon who . He then reffered her to an ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT Doctor) and administered a biopsy and CT scan. On May 3rd, she recieved the results of having squamous cell carcinoma. The ENT doctor suggested a prognosis of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

Kristal began to do her research on funtional and root cause medical doctors. This led her to a local Academic + Integrative Medical Center. This Medical Center specializes in nutritional testing and holistic/naturopathic treatments for sustained illnesses such as cancer, Lyme disease, gut issues, anxiety and depression, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, and more. Rather than focusing on a diagnosis and managing symptoms, their goal is to discover the root causes of the disease. They work to find out why the disease occurred in the first place and then address those causes. With Kristals background in holistic wellness and passion for all things natural, this option seemed the most aligned with her current lifestyle and belief system. Kristal will begin treatment with their oncology clinic on June 13th, 2022.

The funds donated will be allocated between the following: living expences due to extended work leave, treatment at the Academic + Integrative Medical Center, additional medications and supplements & other holistic therapies.