On the night of Monday October 27th, my family's entire world was flipped upside down in a matter of hours.

What started as a routine CT scan ended with the most important person in my life, my mom, being on an operating table. Judi was not aware when she entered the walk-in clinic due to abdominal pain that she faced a much scarier reality. Following her scan, her medical team sent her to the emergency room immediately.

Judi had a perforated bowel and two abscesses, resulting in the removal of a significant portion of her colon. The surgery was nearly four hours long. By the grace of God, the surgery was successful. However, her story is not over. The surgeons had to place an ostomy bag and another drain in her abdomen. She now faces a long period of recovery which includes 2-3 weeks of inpatient rehabilitation and physical therapy.

Anyone who knows me knows that my mom is my everything. Judi is a single mother, and I am her only daughter. She is my best friend, my confidant, and the person that I love the most in this world. When I heard the news that she needed emergency surgery, I had no choice but to fly to Nashville, only with the clothes on my back (and my textbooks, of course, because law school never stops!).

Even before this emergency, times have not been easy for us. My mom has been out of work for most of the year, leaving us especially stressed financially. In addition to law school expenses and paying rent on a new home, she will now be out of work for another 6-8 months with her recovery. These additional medical expenses are going to place immense stress on our family.

My mom is strong when she feels as if she has nothing left; she is kind and cares deeply about those around her; she is the most hardworking woman who is tough as nails and the most resilient person I know; she is intelligent and passionate about the world around her. Most of all, she has blessed me with being the most incredible mother that a daughter could ever ask for. I love her more than anything, and nothing ever changes that.

If you are able, please consider donating to our fund to lift up our family at this time. If not, please continue to hold my mom close in prayer and ask God to give her strength, perseverance, and peace during this stressful time. Please feel free to share this page to your Facebook and/or share it with your loved ones.

In immense gratitude,

Lydia