On August 16th, 2025, after spending the morning working the Wytheville Farmers Market with her kids, my sister Janessa began experiencing leg swelling, dizziness and chest pain. She went to the ER, where doctors discovered her white blood cell count was dangerously high (306,000!), and a CT revealed her spleen had enlarged to the size of her liver.

That same day, she was transferred by ambulance to a hospital an hour away, where an oncologist confirmed the diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The doctor explained that although she may not feel as sick as she truly is, her body is fighting an intense battle. She has since been admitted for at least 6 days of treatment. On August 17th, doctors placed a catheter in her neck to begin filtering her blood and lowering her white blood cell count and August 18th she had a bone marrow biopsy, while also running additional tests. August 19th she didunfortunately collapse and loose consciousness in the shower which was really scary. But her electrolytes and magnesium is very low. Her sugars look good though and her heart rate is high but her blood pressure is low.

Janessa is not only my sister—she is a devoted wife and the proud mother of four beautiful children, ages 10 down to just 11 months old. Her strength, love, and faith have always been unwavering, but this diagnosis has turned her family’s world upside down.

While she is in the hospital undergoing treatment, her husband is juggling work, childcare, and travel back and forth to be by her side. The financial burden of medical bills, transportation, and daily expenses has already begun to weigh heavily on their family.

We are asking for your support to help ease this burden so that Janessa can focus fully on her treatment and healing, and so her husband and children can continue to have stability during this incredibly difficult time.

Every donation, no matter the size, will help provide relief with medical expenses, childcare, travel costs, and day-to-day living needs. If you’re unable to give, sharing this page means just as much.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your love, prayers, and generosity. Together, we can help lift some of the weight off Janessa’s family as they walk through this cancer journey.