A few weeks ago, Lori came into my life and nothing was the same afterward. Instead of being depressed, bored, and living a bad version of Groundhog Day, knowing her has made me feel younger, alive, and looking forward to each day. She is a ray of sunshine to everyone who is lucky enough to know her.

But this ray of sunshine has some dark clouds that neither myself nor her other friends are able to fix. Lori is homeless and battling cancer. It breaks my heart to think of what she is going through and that we can’t give her the joy she gives all those around her.

Lori, who is 63 and the mother of two grown children, lives in a trailer on the back lot of the business I work at. The trailer has no running water or power. The Texas summer is on the way and I fear for her safety. During the day, she comes into the office to freshen up, sit in the A/C, and have lunch with me.

Lori is also fighting bladder (urinary tract) cancer. She will be having a surgical procedure soon to hopefully cure it. She is scared that she might not make it. I’m scared too that my new best friend who has made me so happy will be taken away.