Update (not the one we wanted to write):

Erika spent the last year+ undergoing extremely aggressive treatment: long daily chemotherapy sessions, weekly radiation, and an inpatient internal radiation procedure. Those treatments destroyed the cancer at the time, but they also caused permanent damage to her body, including organ damage, hair loss, and severe side effects. For a short period, it appeared she had beaten the cancer.

The cancer has now returned and spread to one lung, her back, and her stomach. She is in pain and has only one functioning kidney, which is currently compromised. The next round of chemotherapy will begin on Monday, February 2, 2026.

Erika still needs our support to cover the costs associated with getting treatment and trying to move her back to South Florida to be closer to family. Anything you could spare would be incredibly meaningful. Please keep her in your prayers.

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Original post:

This is the hardest thing I have ever had to write. It’s a feeling I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Today I am putting my pride aside and, together with my sisters, asking for your help and generosity.

Last month our worlds were turned upside down when we learned the news that our sister, Erika, was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors describe it as rare and aggressive, and it has metastasized. She is 44 years old. If you know Erika, you know goodness. She has been working since the age of 14, never asking anyone for a thing. She is what I think about when I think of work ethic and grit. Now she is facing her biggest battle yet, the fight for her life. Her treatment plan will have to be as aggressive as the cancer, meaning she will not be able to work for much longer. Tale as old as time and holding true for so many people, her steady employment does not translate into having health insurance or savings that can sustain what she is about to endure. She needs our help and we humbly ask for your generosity here. These words are so hard to type, but nothing is as hard as what she is facing.

If you are not in a position to give, we understand. I still have an ask- I beg for your prayers. God teaches us that prayer must be our first response, not our last resort. We pray that God’s hands may be on every nurse or doctor she crosses paths with, may God’s wisdom guide treatment decisions, and may He work miracles to heal the cancer within her. We pray for peace in the face of having so much to fear.

Give if you can; share if you choose; and we beg you to pray.

Forever grateful,

Raisa, Bessie, and Jessy - for our sister Erika

“I will restore your health, and I will heal your wounds, declared the Lord.” Jeremiah 30:17