Our mom didn't want us to do this at first. We heard things like, "other people have it so much worse than I do." and "don't worry about me, it'll be okay.". Let me back up and tell you a little piece of Teri's story.

I remember her voice as she told me, "It's Squamous Cell Carcinoma. The doctor said it's Stage II." In her voice was a calming and steady strength, as if to say, "It's not your job to worry about me, sweetie. It's my job to protect and comfort you and your sister.". Self-less and strong. Weeks and months went by, and the tumor grew quickly. The tumor was so large that it protruded inside her mouth, making eating, drinking, and talking painful. In October of 2021, mom finally had the surgery to remove the cancerous tumor inside her left cheek. They took a skin graft from her wrist to reconstruct the inside of her mouth (nerve endings, blood vessels and all). Mom knew recovering from this would be difficult, but she chose to rely on God entirely, trusting in Him every step of the way; she was ready. After a 10 hour surgery, we received the best news - the surgery was a success! The surgeons were able to remove all of the cancerous tumor. Unfortunately, though, in order to get to the tumor, they had to pull all of mom's teeth on the left side of her mouth as well as some on the right side. In the grand scheme of things, it's a small price to pay for the removal of cancer - a battle scar. But it also meant that eating, drinking...even smiling would never be the same. Mom took the news like a champ, continuing to lean on God and resting in His goodness and grace. Not once did we hear a complaint.

To make a long story as short as possible, mom will forever be without teeth on the left side of her mouth. After speaking with two different oral surgeons, we found out that she is able to have some dental work done on the right side of her mouth. The cost of the dental work was more than any of us imagined. Mom decided to go with the cheapest option: she's getting only the essential teeth needed for chewing. Just the "essential" teeth present a $ 10,000 out-of-pocket expense.

That brings us back to the beginning - mom telling us there are more worthy causes to give to, that it'll be okay, and not to worry; us pleading with her to just let us do this! Being the professional kids we are, we were able to wear her down until she caved. So, here we are...asking you, if you are able, to please consider donating. You would truly be changing the quality of her beautiful life. We would be forever grateful.