If you’ve spent any time around Interbay Little League or Robinson High School baseball over the years, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Liz.

Liz is the proud mom of four boys who grew up playing ball at Interbay and later at Robinson. But the truth is, she didn’t just show up for her own kids. She showed up for everybody’s kids.

She drove players to practice when parents couldn’t get there. She volunteered as team mom. She advocated for kids in the classroom. She cheered them on like they were her own.

For a lot of boys growing up around those fields, Liz became a second mom.

My family knows that love firsthand.

My uncle Freddie coached baseball at Robinson High School for more than 50 years. As he got older, getting around became difficult. He lived across town, relied on buses, and had mobility issues. Liz would go out of her way to pick him up and make sure he could still get to the field and continue doing what he loved.

She didn’t have to do that. That was just Liz being Liz.

She was also a second mom to my younger brother, Jacquari, when my mom was working two jobs. Liz made sure he got to practices and games, stood up for him when it mattered, and celebrated his accomplishments like he was one of her own sons. My brother grew up alongside her son Corey, and Liz never treated him as anything less than family.

That’s just the kind of heart she has.

Liz’s love for Robinson baseball runs even deeper. Alongside Judy Cole, Liz spent four years raising every dollar needed to build the Robinson Baseball Locker Room so generations of players would have a place of their own. They did it without a single dime from Hillsborough County Schools. Even after her son Corey graduated, Liz stayed another year to help finish the fundraising and make sure the project was completed for the future of the program.

That’s the kind of commitment Liz has always had to this community and these kids.

Today Liz is also a proud grandmother to five beautiful grandsons who mean the world to her.

But right now Liz is facing the fight of her life.

Almost three years after being diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, Liz is now facing another battle. She has recently been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and lung cancer and is preparing for surgery at the beginning of April.

Her first battle with cancer took a serious toll on both her body and her finances. The chemotherapy caused damage to her heart, which led to heart surgery earlier this year and ongoing medications just to keep things stable.

Liz lives on Social Security and the years of cancer treatment have completely drained her savings. She had been picking up small jobs here and there just to make ends meet, but right now her health simply won’t allow her to work.

At the same time, her rent continues to increase, her medications have become more expensive, and the medical bills keep piling up. After surgery she will likely need someone to help care for her at home while she recovers — something insurance just won’t cover for her.

Like so many moms, Liz has spent her life making sure everyone else was okay.

Now she’s facing impossible choices no one battling cancer should ever have to make.

Do I pay rent or pay medical bills?

Do I buy groceries or fill the prescriptions I need?

More than anything, Liz just wants time.

Time to watch her grandsons grow up.

Time to see her youngest son, Ian, graduate college and marry the love of his life.

Time to keep being the mom and grandmother her family loves so deeply.

Her sons love her and are doing what they can, but like many families they are balancing their own families, work, military service, and responsibilities.

Liz has been there for so many of us — cheering for our kids, helping families, and quietly stepping in whenever someone needed support.

Now our community has the chance to show up for Liz the same way she has always shown up for us.

We are hoping to raise $4, 500 to help Liz cover immediate expenses including rent, medical bills, medications, transportation to treatments and surgery, and any in-home help she may need during recovery.

If you are able to contribute, any amount truly helps.

If donating isn’t possible right now, sharing this page or sending Liz a message of encouragement means just as much.

Liz has lifted so many of us through her kindness and generosity over the years.

Now it’s our turn to lift her.

With love and gratitude,

O’Quicha