Loving Mei Lin

There is a beautiful young mother with brain cancer that desperately needs our help.  Mei Lin, husband Colby, and 4-year-old Ikaika are facing a hard time.  In 2006, Mei Lin was diagnosed with brain cancer. After 11 years of remission, Mei Lin’s cancer has returned, requiring major surgery as well as chemo and radiation. This is a critical time for the family as they struggle to cope with on-going treatments and the devastating effects of both the illness and the treatments.

This is an authentic tragedy where we can all be of real help.  Colby and Mei Lin met fighting forest fires on a “hot shot” crew in Oregon. As all in the West know, we owe a great debt to the strength, determination and perseverance of wildland firefighters who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our forests and homes. These are the kind of people Colby and Mei Lin are- strong to the core. Although she is on disability now, Mei Lin’s career was working for the Forest Service in fire management. Colby is a co-owner of a small design firm in Eugene. Colby is trying to keep up his workload while providing the support his family needs. Right now it is impossible to do both. It is critical that Colby spend this time with his wife and son as they face the challenges that the future will bring.

Mei Lin is a shining star in our family. She is one of the strongest and most compassionate people you could ever meet. Over the past few weeks, many people have said how Mei Lin has helped them through hard times with kind words and deeds- and made a difference in their lives. We know the list of people who care about her is a long one.

Now it is our turn, and our privilege to help this family. Needless to say, the costs of treatment are staggering. We hope this fundraising can help with costs and allow Colby to take time off from work and spend more time with his family. This is one burden that we can help to lift from their shoulders. Any and all contributions will be accepted with deep gratitude.

Thank you in advance.