It is beyond difficult to think of the words to express what our family is currently going through. At the start of this year, my younger sister, Casianna Brown-Ray, was diagnosed with stage IV small bowel cancer and within three short months her cancer has spread beyond what chemo can do to help.

Cassie has always been a caring and nurturing daughter, sister, wife and friend. Whether it's spending time with her nephews and 10-month-old niece or planning new ways to celebrate those close to her, Cassie is always pushing the envelope on what it means to have a big heart. No matter how much she has on her plate, she always finds the time to show everyone in her life that she cares.

As her older sister, I have always sought to protect Cassie from the world, but she never needed it. She's always been the strongest of the three of us, the most driven, the hardest working. She uplifts everyone she comes into contact with and spreads love, joy and art everywhere she goes.

We are asking for help as we look into other means of help and figure out these next phases. Throughout the last 2 and a half months, Cassie's husband Rodney has been taking time off work to be by her side. In addition, our parents, younger sister and I, along with our spouses, have been making trips to her home to care for her two dogs and sanitizing her house to keep contaminants down. We are not sure what the next steps are at this point. We are looking into any and every option to keep my sister alive. And we are asking for your help during this hard time.

Cassie's Cancer Journey

At the start of 2026, Cassie was having trouble holding food down. She was constantly nauseous and couldn't hold down any food or water for days. Her husband, Rodney, took her to the emergency room thinking this was a side effect to a newer medication. When all of her tests came back negative and she seemed to be in good health otherwise, doctors decided to do some scans where they were able to identify a mass near her pancreas.

The mass was found to be cancerous and due to its location, she was eventually diagnosed with stage IV small bowel cancer. Before starting chemotherapy, doctors focused on getting Cassie eating so that she could build up strength to start the process. She was able to take in some calories through a liquid diet for a while and even was able to eat a small amount. By February, she was able to have her first round of chemotherapy. We were pleasantly surprised when she had very few side effects from the chemo.

We were able to try soft foods and get Cassie stronger by eating, but the nausea was still present. When she returned to her doctor for her check up before the second round of chemo, her vitals were not looking good. Her blood count had been high and doctor's had her sent directly to the ER. She stayed in the ER with her husband for nearly a week and during that time contracted C Diff (a difficult and highly contagious sickness usually contracted in hospitals) and Thrush, which prevented her from being able to swallow and caused massive pain.

The Thrush was treated quickly, but the C Diff required very strong antibiotics that left her sick and very tired. Her blood pressure had been in the 140s-160s daily, which is like running a marathon constantly. She was very tired and exhausted and unable to see many of her loved ones.

Once she was able to finally return home after a long hospital stay, Cassie remained unable to eat much. She ended up returning to the ER within the week, where they were unsure of if the C Diff was persisting in spite of the medication or if her cancer was spreading. She started having back aches that persisted and her energy has been low.

It is now mid-March, and she has been in the ER around 2 weeks. She is now able to see visitors who wear a mask. Her blood pressure has lowered to around 114 now, but she is very tired and very lethargic. She is now in and out of sleep very often and her speech is slightly slowed and quiet. With all that being said, Cassie is still telling jokes and keeping us laughing in the hospital. I have yet to see her break down or even get emotional. She has been a rock through this entire journey.

On March 11th, doctors explained to Cassie, her husband and our parents that the cancer has spread beyond what Chemo can do to help. They have decided to move her to hospice care to make sure she is comfortable going forward.

This is a shortened telling of Cassie's full journey. She has been in and out of the ER many times over the last 2 and half months and has been through many ups and downs. I am truly grateful for the help and love we have received during this time. I know all of this can sound very daunting, but we are in constant prayer and know that God can deliver miracles. Even if chemotherapy is not something we can utilize right now, we know there are other options out there. Thank you to everyone who donates, sends their love or keeps us in their prayers.