When your children are little and you think of their future, you never imagine it will involve cancer. You especially don't think of it ever involving three cancers at once! You don't realize how quickly your daughter can go from a career she worked so hard for her to help others, to having to put that on hold, and how financially devastating that can be. You do realize, and couldn't be prouder, of how strong and kind she is. When you see her give her last bit of energy, after multiple rounds of chemo, to take her kids to a sport, play a game with them, have a meal available, be present, when every bone in her body hurts. Your heart bursts with pride when you see her still being kind and encouraging to others when life has given her such a rough path. You know how hard it is for her to ask for help when she wants to be the helper.

Amanda's cancer journey started three years ago with a breast cancer diagnosis. While fighting breast cancer, six months later she found out she had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Due to some newer treatments, she enjoyed a brief remission. In the fall of 2024, while preparing for a double mastectomy, her walking became unstable and she started having back and leg pain. They postponed her surgery, and by January 2025, her ALL had returned. As she prepares for a stem cell transplant, she has continued to fight cancer with multiple rounds of chemo, immunotherapy, and tests. She finally had the double mastectomy in May. In July she was diagnosed and treated for skin cancer. She is still waiting to get back in remission for the stem cell transplant, hopefully later this year.

I wrote much of this waiting outside of a radiation room while listening to the drill that drills into her spine while they take samples and pump in more chemo. Finding out this will be a multiple week occurrence over the next month. I am amazed at how brave she is, her attitude, and her ability to laugh through all of this. She got up this morning and put on nice clothes, makeup, and her beautiful smile. You would never know she was going to spend the day at the hospital and be poked and drilled and filled with chemicals.

We hope she is cancer-free one day and can be the one once again helping, but right now we need help. Although we have been blessed beyond belief with family and friends helping, being a single mom of three and all that goes with it doesn't stop. Treatments, medicine, food, and gas are expensive. We would be grateful for any donations, gift cards, and prayers. Please share.