Julie lost her fight with cancer - help support her kids

I'm Wendy, and I'm raising funds for my sister Julie. Julie is an emergency department nurse, single mom to three teenage boys, a fun, outdoorsy friend and devoted partner, and now, one of cancer's fiercest opponents.

Here we are with our mom, Liz, on Mother's Day a few years back.

In early February, at just 43, Julie was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Initially, it seemed that she had caught it much earlier than most - a small mass on a pancreatic duct - but a month later, when Julie was about to have a Whipple procedure, the surgeon found another nodule on her liver. As Julie puts it, "Sh*t went south." Going from what we thought was Stage 1 to Stage 4 in a matter of hours was crushing.

In light of the metastasis, Julie's treatment plan has changed. Instead of undergoing major surgery (the Whipple) first, to be followed by 6 months of chemo, she will be starting with 6 months of chemo, to be followed by surgery if that is still an option, then likely another 6 months of chemo. And this is serious chemo: as Julie describes it, "big, nasty, 48-hours-per-treatment chemo."

Julie and Bill are pretty cute.

Julie is facing this as she does every challenge: directly, openly, with grit, humor, and a few choice words. But this is still very, very hard. She loves her job and her patients, and this will keep her out of work for months; she's already missing it. While out of work in the coming months, Julie will need a lot of help paying medical, household, and other expenses. That's where this GoFundMe comes in.

Of course, Julie and her boys are likely to need a lot of additional support over the longer term. David and Gabe are still in high school, and Nathan is new to "adulting." This diagnosis changes the math when it comes to supporting their future endeavors - not to mention the unanticipated day-to-day logistical supports they will need while she is focusing on her extended treatment and recovery. Julie is determined to fight and win - and the smart money is on her doing just that - but the statistics tell us that this won't be easy.

Bill, Julie, and my three favorite nephews

As an ED nurse, Julie is usually the one taking care of others and managing the immediate crisis. And as a mom, she is used to being resourceful and figuring out how to make everything work. But this time, she needs our help - and lots of it. Please give what you can, and - just as importantly - share this page with others. The only way we can hope to meet our goal is by reaching more people.

We've already received so much support, both financial and otherwise - we appreciate your generosity, kind notes, thoughts, and prayers so much - THANK YOU! We are in this for the long haul, and it helps to know you're with us.

P.S. To be clear, funds raised through GoFundMe for Julie and her family will not be restricted to paying her medical expenses. They will be used to support Julie and her boys at the family's discretion throughout her treatment and recovery.