My mother, Darleen Jollie, has dedicated her life to being not only the hands and feet but the heart of God, loving and serving with an authenticity that leaves an imprint on the lives she’s intersected. She has a gift of truly seeing a person and loving them so genuinely, they leave knowing the love of the Lord Jesus Christ whether they expected to or not. As Paul taught in Philippians, so Mom poured herself out as a drink offering, a sacrifice and act of worship, in order to shine the light of her Lord in an ever increasingly dark world, to love people made in the image and by the hand of Almighty God.

In February of 2025, after eighteen months of compounding symptoms, multiple doctors and specialists, pervasive pain, helplessness, and frustration, Mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is a neurological disorder, a breakdown between the brain and the rest of the body, and it affects every system, without rhyme or reason, without known cause and with no cure. Physiologically, nothing works as it’s meant to, and mentally, there’s no control and often feels as though there’s no hope.

While Parkinson’s is reputed to be a slow-developing disease that can be managed, Mom, as in so many things, is the exception. Her symptoms have progressed very quickly, and medicines aren’t managing much of what she’s experiencing.

This GoFundMe is being set up to raise money to get her to Mayo Clinic in Arizona for a full evaluation, second opinion of her diagnosis, and, subsequently, a treatment plan. With the expectation that she will need funding for airfare, hotel, meals, etc., our goal is $15000.

Please consider donating. So many of us have been impacted by Mom, by her wonderful heart, her faith, and her unerring service. As Dad has turned his attention and devotion to caring so beautifully for Mom as she becomes less able, we now also have this opportunity to serve her, to love her, and worship with her, as Job did: “The Lord gives and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

We can’t all give large gifts. If you can give a little, that’s wonderful. If you can reach out to encourage Mom, please do. If you are willing and able to support us on your knees, please pray for financial support, for relief of pain, for clarity of mind, for the doctors to have wisdom, for the disease to slow its progress, for hope rather than helplessness, for all of us.

If you have been loved by Mom, please feel free to share a story. It would mean a lot to her.