For the last six months, my mom (Dottie Whibley) has been in severe, unexplained pain. She was seeing doctors once, sometimes twice a week because the pain made it difficult for her to walk, move, or even get out of bed. It continued to worsen to the point where she could barely stand and became mostly confined to her bed. Despite countless appointments, scans, and tests, doctors could not figure out what was causing it. They believed it might be related to her hips, spine, or nerves, but nothing was showing up.

On October 26th, the pain became so unbearable that my dad (Richard Whibley) had to call paramedics because she could no longer tolerate even lying still. Once she arrived at the hospital, doctors ran full-body scans. What they discovered was something none of us expected.

My mom has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. She has a large mass in her lung, and the cancer has spread to her pelvis, which explains the months of agonizing pain and mobility issues, and it has also spread to the base of her brain.

She has remained in the hospital since receiving the diagnosis, and my dad has been by her side every single day. With my mom unable to work and my dad struggling to balance caring for her while also running his small business, where he is the only employee, we are facing an overwhelming amount of medical bills and everyday expenses that will fall solely on him.

She is currently undergoing radiation to help shrink the tumors in her pelvis and ease some of the pain. After radiation, she will be moved to a rehabilitation center. Once her oncologist completes a full assessment, my mom will have to make a difficult decision about whether to proceed with chemotherapy or focus on quality of life and spend her remaining time at home with family.

My mom is my best friend, and my heart is absolutely shattered watching her go through this. My heart breaks for her, for my dad (Richard Whibley), for my brother (Tory Whibley), and for our entire family.

We are asking for any help you can give, big or small, as we prepare for the medical costs, treatments, and financial burdens that are already beginning to build. Your support means more than you will ever know, and we appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts.