You never think the time will come when you have to write something like this. You see people throughout your life that go through a tragedy and offer condolences, and you are grateful that your family is whole. Until it isn’t. Mom hasn’t been feeling well and went to see a pulmonologist who ordered a chest CT. They found a nodule on her right lung. They did a bronchoscopy and were unable to biopsy the original nodule but did take samples of surrounding lymph nodes. They found cancer in the lymph nodes, suggesting metastatic cancer they believe to have started in her lungs. We are still waiting for additional testing for prognosis and treatment options. But we know that it will require in-depth treatment.

Mom is on a fixed income, and Medicare will not cover all the costs of treatment. Any money collected will be to help cover medical bills, travel expenses, and anything else she needs while receiving treatment.

Donna, or Momma Skiff, as she is known to many of you, was the heartbeat of our childhood. She provided a place for all of us to be safe and happy. She sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee, listening to all of our problems, stories, accomplishments, and whatever else we wanted to tell her. She took in many of our friends over the years and provided a roof over their heads when they needed it. She was a shoulder to cry on. She was an ear to bend. She was a counselor and coach. Not just to her children but to an entire neighborhood of kids. If you were lucky enough to call her Momma Skiff, to feel that unconditional love, you had a fucking soldier on your side. She was a rider for any and every one of us when we needed her.

Now she needs us. She needs us to soldier up and be her support. So I am asking for your help. She won’t, because she is as stubborn now as she was then. But I am asking. If you cannot donate, then share this or pray to whatever it is that you believe in. Thank you in advance for whatever support you can offer. She has been and always will be the backbone of our family, and it’s time for us to rally around her and be all the things she was for us.