Our beloved family member and dear friend, Mana Alikhani, is in the fight of her life — a battle no one should ever have to face.

Mana has been diagnosed with anaplastic parathyroid cancer with thyroid involvement, an extremely rare and aggressive cancer. To put it into perspective, she is believed to be only the 20th known case in the United States in the last 100 years. Because of how rare this disease is, there are no FDA-approved treatments and very little research available. Her doctors are doing everything they can, but they are forced to navigate this without a clear path.

And still — Mana continues to fight.

Over the past year, she has endured 34 rounds of radiation to her neck and thyroid and is now undergoing chemotherapy. Through every appointment, every treatment, and every setback, she has shown a level of strength, faith, and grace that inspires everyone around her.

In recent months, she has spent countless hours at City of Hope, where she underwent multi-location radiation and four rounds of chemotherapy in an effort to slow this disease down.

She also traveled to MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the leading cancer centers in the world, where specialists evaluated her case and worked to guide the next steps — holding onto hope even in the face of something so rare.

But this cancer is relentless.

It has continued to spread aggressively. It is now affecting her lungs, heart, pulmonary veins, liver, bones, spine, and has reached her brain, where multiple tumors are present. This devastating progression shows just how fast and unforgiving this disease is.

Right now, Mana is facing one of the most critical moments of her entire journey.

The cancer has caused additional growths in her neck and throat, making it difficult for her to breathe. What most of us do without thinking — taking a simple breath — has now become a challenge.

This weekend, Mana is traveling to Fresno, California for a procedure that we are all praying will help open her airway, so she can continue fighting.

If successful, she will begin a final chemotherapy treatment that has not yet been tried — what her oncology team has described as the last possible effort to save her life.

Mana is scared. Anyone would be.

But even now, she continues to hold onto her faith. She continues to trust in God’s plan. And she continues to fight with everything she has.

As you can imagine, this journey has taken an overwhelming physical and emotional toll. It has also brought a heavy financial burden. Mana has been unable to work, and the costs continue to grow, including:

Travel for specialized treatment

Lodging and transportation

Ongoing medical bills, treatments, and testing

Everyday living expenses during this time

Today, we are asking for your help.

We are asking for your prayers — for healing, for strength, for peace, and for comfort over Mana and her family.

And if you are able, we are asking for your support to help ease this burden so Mana can focus on what matters most: fighting for her life.

Mana is the kind of person who gives without hesitation. She loves deeply, shows up for others, and puts the people around her before herself. She has always been a light in so many lives.

Now, she needs that light surrounding her.

Please keep Mana in your prayers. Please share her story. And if you can, please help us stand beside her in this fight.

We still believe in miracles.

And we are not giving up on Mana.