Dear Family and Friends,

I’m reaching out to share a deeply personal and urgent situation that our family is currently facing—and to humbly ask for your support.

On May 15th, 2025, my beloved Aunt Erin—only 53 years old—was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. What began as discomfort in March quickly progressed into severe pain that made it nearly impossible for her to eat solid food. By early May, she had lost over 35 pounds. Despite multiple doctor visits during this time, her symptoms were initially believed to be inflammatory bowel disease. Unfortunately, due to long waitlists, a colonoscopy was delayed until last week. That procedure revealed tumors obstructing her colon, and further scans and biopsies confirmed the devastating diagnosis.

At this stage, surgery is not currently an option. Erin will need extensive chemotherapy over the next six weeks, followed by six months of alternating chemo and radiation to shrink the tumors before surgery becomes viable. This treatment plan is expected to be physically and emotionally demanding and will disrupt her ability to work during this time. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of appointments, testing, and treatment planning—alongside the overwhelming stress of mounting medical and personal expenses to come.

We’re asking for your help to ease some of that burden. Any financial contribution, no matter how small, would mean the world to our family and allow Erin to focus fully on healing. And if you’re unable to give financially, simply sharing this campaign with your network would be an incredible help.

While we can’t take away Erin’s physical pain, we can help lift the weight of financial stress and show her she’s not in this fight alone. We remain hopeful and focused on her full recovery, and we’re deeply grateful for your prayers, well wishes, and support in any form.

With heartfelt thanks,

The Rakes, O’Briens, Butchers, Halls & Hanks