Hello, my name is Audrey and we are starting a GoFundMe to help our amazing niece, Lorelai Shepherd, and her family as she continues fighting cancer. In late 2020, Lorelai was diagnosed as stage 4 with a rare cancer called Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a soft tissue cancer where tumors develop from muscle or fibrous tissue and can grow in any part of the body. It all started for Lorelai with pain in her foot.

She was in remission for a few months but in April 2022, the cancer came back stronger than ever. An interesting fact is that Lorelai has fought this type of cancer as one of the longest, if not the longest, of those treated at University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital if that tells you anything about her spirit.

She has recently become paralyzed from the hips down due to a large tumor on her spine and suddenly requires around the clock care. With the tumors growing so quickly, doctors are fearing she is nearing the end of her journey. We know this is a critical stage and we know they need our help.

Throughout her journey she has endured countless days at University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital as well as participating in a clinical trial at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago. Lorelai has had 14 different types of chemotherapy and radiation on multiple tumors. Sometimes they were adult doses and she handled each like a champ.

Lorelai is so much more than her cancer. She is a happy, positive and fun-loving young lady. She just finished her freshman year at Benton Community High School where she participated on the dance team and enjoys hanging out with all of her friends having sleepovers. Also, an incredible group of people worked together to ensure she was able to attend the prom with all of her friends and she had a blast.

Any contribution would be immensely appreciated by Lorelai and her family as we continue to help them through this journey.