Accepting help is never easy, especially when you are the one normally helping others! But my good friend, Lisa Carlin is faced with a time where she needs a lot of prayers and help! Lisa is a single mother to her beautiful daughter, Torirose. Torirose attends the South Williamsport Area High School where she is involved in various activities such as band and theatre. Sadly, Lisa was recently diagnosed with Stage 3B Esophageal Cancer with a large mass of pre cancer in her stomach.

Lisa is a hard worker and is the sole provider for her and her amazing daughter. Unfortunately, Lisa recently accepted a new job at UPMC Williamsport and found out this week that she is not eligible for FMLA, short term disability or long term disability . This means Lisa will have no income for probably several months at a time while undergoing treatment and surgery. She has been trying to work as much as possible because she needs the income, however, some days she has been unable to due to how ill she has been and because of medical appointments that she has already had to go to.

Lisa's journey with cancer recently began when she was having severe pain in her chest and throat and was having a hard time swallowing. After several trips to the ER, she was finally diagnosed with Stage 3B Esophageal Cancer. There are several steps to Lisa's treatment and unfortunately some of her medical care will take place in Pittsburgh, PA. Lisa will travel to Pittsburgh on Friday, September 12th (one day after her birthday) to undergo surgery. She will have a port placed for Chemotherapy, a feeding tube placed in her stomach and she will have an ultrasound to get more answers. The feeding tube will nourish Lisa because she is able to eat very little. She needs to be strong enough to handle Chemotherapy! She will remain in the hospital until at least Monday, Sept. 15th. The next stage will begin in Williamsport on September 17th, when she will start Chemotherapy for at least six weeks. The third stage will start sometime in November when she will travel to Pittsburgh, PA once again to undergo surgery to remove the cancer in her esophagus and part of her stomach. She will be admitted into the hospital for at least one week. She will then be required to take at least seven weeks off of work The fourth step will be at home, where she will receive another 6 weeks of Chemotherapy.

During the time Lisa is unable to work, she will not be paid! Lisa needs our help! I know we live in a community who rallies around one another and help when help is needed. If you know Lisa, you can attest that she is an amazing lady who gives to others and would give the shirt off of her own back. Accepting help is very hard for her, but I did finally get permission to start this fundraiser. Lisa will be financially unable to do this alone! She has a home to pay for, every day expenses, bills,, travel expenses and everything her daughter needs. And as we all know, her medical bills will quickly start coming in. If you have it in your heart to help, please do! If you are unable to support her monetarily, please pray for Lisa. Lisa is a fighter, but she has a long road ahead of her. She needs prayers and the love of our amazing community. Please feel free to share this page so it is seen by a lot of people. Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Update 1: Lisa had surgery today and is recovering. She will remain in the hospital until Sunday or Monday. Prayers are requested for a smooth recovery! Thank you