At just 33 years old, Erika faced a devastating truth: an autoimmune disease quietly attacking her liver. Even more heartbreaking, she learned she had carried this condition her whole life, and it rapidly progressed to stage 4 cirrhosis. The past year has been a daily test of endurance, pushing her strength in ways she never could have imagined.

If you know Erika, you know a woman of extraordinary grit—independent, fiercely loyal, and the kind of person who would give you the shirt off her back to make sure you were okay before she was. Yet behind that fierce exterior lies a heart that has endured hospital stays and major health battles, all while holding onto hope.

She has been out of work since November, missing precious moments with her family and, especially, her 10-year-old son. Right now, she’s fighting to stay on the transplant list, and she is very close to being listed for a liver transplant. As she says, it’s “the fight to regain her life back.”

Moving forward, her doctors have asked that Erika receive all care at UMASS to ensure coordinated, comprehensive treatment and the best possible chance at healing.

Erika is surrounded by a great support system, and she carries a quiet faith that this chapter can be rewritten with courage, community, and care. Your generosity can help ease the burden—covering medical costs, travel for treatments, and the time her family needs by her side during this fight. Any amount you can give brings her one step closer to the life she’s fighting to reclaim.

Thank you for keeping Erika in your thoughts, for sharing her story, and for helping her family stay hopeful.