Mom's "Make a Wish" Cruise

Thank you for the time in reading this. This is very hard to write as it brings reality to this situation.  I want to tell you a little about a very special person that is in need of your help.  She is one of the kindest and nicest people you could ever meet.  She has been a selfless provider for our family since becoming a mom at the age of 17. This is my mom Diane. Nearly a year ago, mom was diagnosed with and has fought cervical cancer.  After chemo and both internal and external radiation, we all thought she had won, but recently we found out that there is no winning. The cancer is back, it is aggressive, and her case is terminal. There is little left to be done and it is now just a matter of time.  For me, working in emergency services for 21 years, the concept of “live today like there is no tomorrow” never hit me like it has now. We are losing our mom and are helpless to stop it. She had me at 17, we practically grew up together.  In 2015, she lost her twin sister.  Within 9 months, she lost her daughter Lisa.  Soon after, she lost her brother, another sister, and daughter in law.  Blow after blow and now she finds out she is terminally ill. She doesn’t deserve this.  No one does!  My mom and dad never had much of anything. We had most everything we needed with an occasional want, only as an adult with a family of my own did I understand the sacrifices that were made.  One thing she always wanted to do was take a cruise. Years ago, I made a promise. I returned to college to become an RN. The promise was that I would take her on a cruise when I finished my master’s degree. This is about a year and a half away and she’s not going to make it.  We would like to take her on that cruise now.  A cruise would be great because we would all be together in a central location.  It is handicap accessible as her health is declining.  It’s my mom’s wish that all of us are together for this trip.  For those of you that know me personally, asking this of others is about the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I’ve been told various times in my life to set aside my pride and to let others help. That concept has always been hard for me. It’s my mom, so I’ve set pride aside to ask for help to make a few last memories, for a woman that gave us everything.

We appreciate your consideration.

The Chaille Family