My sister Ali is one of the strongest people I know. She has faced every challenge in life with courage and now she is facing her biggest one yet.

Not long after welcoming their baby, Ali was diagnosed with tongue cancer, specifically squamous cell carcinoma, a very aggressive form of tongue cancer. To save her life, doctors had to remove half of her tongue and reconstruct it using the tissue and skin from her forearm then cover that area with a skin graft taken from her upper arm. They also did a neck dissection to remove around 50 lymph nodes in her neck. The surgery was intense and very invasive, but she made it through with the same strength and determination she shows in everything she does.

We are incredibly grateful for the miracle that the cancer had not spread to her lymph nodes and that she did not need radiation, an answer to countless prayers. Her recovery, however, is still ongoing as she continues to attend frequent appointments for speech therapy to help her with eating and talking, and treatment for lymphedema in her neck, all while healing physically and emotionally from such a major surgery.

Ali is a very loving mom to a very busy 2 year old boy and a sweet 3 month old boy. She is also a loving wife, daughter, sister, and friend who gives everything she can to those around her. She is the kind of person who shows up for everyone else with love and kindness and is one to never ask for help. But now, as the medical bills from surgery, her hospital stay, and ongoing therapy are starting to arrive, it’s our turn to show up for her.

We created this GoFundMe to help ease some of the burden so Ali and her family can focus on healing, being together, and taking things one day at a time. Any contribution, big or small, will help with their medical expenses, household needs, and the many unseen costs that come with cancer treatment.

Thank you for loving Ali, for the many prayers, and for supporting her and her family during this incredibly hard time ❤️