My name is Debbie, and I am reaching out as a mother and grandmother who has watched my daughter Ashley and her family fight an unimaginable battle for the last 14 years.

When my granddaughter Claire was just six months old, she was diagnosed with Adrenal Gland Cancer and a rare genetic condition called Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, which greatly increases the risk of developing multiple cancers in a lifetime. Since then, her life has been a series of uphill battles:

    •    Metastasis to the liver

           Bone Cancer in her tibia

    •    Colon cancer at just 9 years old and had her colon removed

          Benign liver hyperplasia

          High pitch hearing loss from chemo

          Chemo related heart problems

          Severe medical PTSD, anxiety and depression

           Autism

    •    A very painful Lesion on femur currently being monitored causing her to use a wheelchair

    •    And now, at age 14, she is facing Rectal Cancer and will be having her rectum removed and will have ileostomy bag placed.

As if that weren’t enough, my son-in-law — Claire’s dad — was also diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome. He has endured his own devastating diagnoses:

    •    Osteosarcoma (Cancer) of the maxilla (upper jaw)

    •    Astrocytoma (Brain Cancer)

          Epilepsy ( seizures)

These illnesses have left him unable to work, drive, or fully care for himself.

Ashley has been the constant caretaker for both her husband and daughter, often sacrificing her own career. She lost her last full-time job because of the time she needed to take off for appointments and hospital stays. Today, she works part-time in the IT department at a local salon/boutique — a wonderful place that supports her need for flexibility — but the income isn’t enough to cover medical bills, travel to appointments, and everyday living expenses.

Through all this, their son — now 21 — has been the quiet helper in the background, stepping in where and when he can. But this has been his reality for the last 14 years, too.

Claire’s next surgery is scheduled for August 25th. She will be in the hospital for 1–2 weeks, and the recovery will be long and hard road. This will place an even greater financial strain on an already overburdened family.

Ashley and her family are not ones to ask for help. They always feel that there must be someone worse off. But right now, I believe it’s their turn to receive the love and support they’ve shown others.

If you are able to help — whether financially or by sharing this campaign — it would mean the world to them, and to me as a mother and grandmother who loves them dearly.

It truly takes a village, and we are so grateful to have you in ours.

With love and gratitude,

God Bless

Debbie