On March 6th, 2026, I received gut wrenching news. My best friend Gina FaceTimed me with tears in her eyes to let me know that she has acute myeloid leukemia. This news has been incredibly earth shattering and unbearable.

If you don’t already know, Gina is one of my closest friends in the entire world. We met on the playground of our elementary school when we were both 8 years old. From then on, she was at my house almost every day as we watched Sailor Moon and gossiped about our latest crushes. She became a part of my family.

Over the years, as we continued to be in each others lives, I’ve watched her grow up to be an incredible wife and mother to her two amazing kids - age 14 year and 10 year old, as well as a pillar to her community in Sacramento. She pours every bit of her heart into her friends and family as she never misses a holiday, a birthday, or even a sports game for her loved ones. To imagine a life without her feels impossible.

Despite this devastating news, we are holding onto hope. Gina is FIERCE and she is not going down without a fight. Her community is stepping in any way possible to support her. In a couple of weeks, she will begin an aggressive form of chemotherapy that requires her to be in the hospital for 2-3 months.

During this time, she will be unable to work, and her husband will also need to take time off to care for her and their family. This creates a significant financial burden for them.

We are hoping to raise funds to help cover three months of house payments, bills, meals, traveling costs for her mother to visit from San Diego, and other essential expenses while they focus on caring for Gina and their kids.

If you can contribute, even $20 makes a difference. Every bit counts.

If you are unable to donate, sharing this page with your network of friends would mean just as much.

Thank you to everyone who has already supported us and who will help them through these very challenging times. We will continue to share updates on Gina’s health and progress.