Hi friends,

As you may or may not know, I've been on a journey with cancer since March of this year. While I keep trying to see the bright side of things in this situation, I have to acknowledge that there are real challenges that some days...are pretty tough. When I received the colon cancer diagnosis, I was halfway through my graduate program to change careers and become a mental health counselor. With regret, I had to push "pause" on the spring semester in order to undergo surgery and chemotherapy -- I tried to hold out as long as I could but it was too much to manage the demands of school and getting healthy. Now that I have been determined to be cancer-free, I plan to resume school this fall and keep pursuing my dreams of supporting others in their well-being, through one-on-one counseling, programs, retreats, and hopefully one day -- a retreat center complete with animals and nature to nurture the soul. This dream is part of my "why" for moving forward and trusting that I am being led to something bigger than I can even dream for myself. This is probably the most humbling thing I've ever done, but I am asking for support in helping to address my ongoing medical expenses and school-related costs. The money I raise here will go towards tuition first, so I can get back to school, and then paying down my outstanding medical debt. Thank you for considering my request; and if you can't contribute in a monetary way, please reach out if you feel like it. Your kind words of encouragement and prayers mean the world!

Jaime