Updated Story / Organizer Message

Sara has completed her final chemotherapy treatment.

We are incredibly grateful she was able to ring the bell and reach this milestone.

While chemo is finished, the financial burden is far from over. Sara and my brother are now facing over $155,000 in medical bills from treatment, travel, and ongoing care. Because Sara has been unable to work during treatment, they have been relying on one income while expenses continue to grow.

Sara is still dealing with severe side effects from chemotherapy, including neuropathy in her hands and feet and intense joint pain that makes standing and walking difficult. Recovery will take time, and additional medical care is still required.

Our goal now is simple:

To help relieve the crushing weight of medical debt so Sara can focus on healing—not bills.

If you’ve followed along, prayed, shared, or donated—thank you from the bottom of our hearts. If you’re able to give or share today, it would mean more than we can express. Even small donations add up and make a real difference.

Thank you for continuing to stand with Sara and our family during this next chapter.

Blessings

Lisa Thompson

Hi, my name is Sara Gollihar, and I’m reaching out to share my story and ask for your support through prayer, encouragement, and, if you’re able, financial help during this incredibly difficult time in my life.

In December, I went to the ER thinking I had kidney stones. What they found instead was a tumor the size of a small watermelon on my left ovary. I was transferred to a hospital in Columbia, where I was told it wasn’t an ovarian torsion as originally suspected. I was sent home on pain medication and referred to a cancer specialist at the university hospital.

The cancer doctor recommended a full hysterectomy, removing everything except my right ovary to preserve my natural hormones—because I can’t take estrogen due to a strong family history of breast cancer. We scheduled the surgery for late February and tried to manage the pain until then.

But by the end of January, the pain became unbearable. I was rushed to the ER and eventually transferred back to Columbia by ambulance, where a different surgeon stepped in to perform the emergency surgery. The tumor had suffocated my left ovary. They removed my uterus, both fallopian tubes, and the left ovary. Biopsies confirmed it was grade 1 cancer in both the ovary and uterus. Thankfully, the cancer hadn’t spread, and my doctors were optimistic.

We planned to monitor my right ovary with regular CT scans every three months. Unfortunately, by the next scan, that ovary was already showing abnormalities. Within days, I had another surgery to remove it. The biopsy came back: it was also cancer.

Now, I’m being referred back to the university cancer center to begin the next steps, which most likely means chemotherapy. The specialist is 220 miles round-trip from our home. The medical bills are starting to pile up and have exceeded $60k.

This journey has been overwhelming. I’m scared, anxious, and emotionally exhausted—but I’m staying strong for my family and my future. I’m asking for:

    •    Prayers for healing and peace, especially as my anxiety has been very intense.

    •    Support to help cover medical bills, travel to treatments, time off work, and all the hidden costs of battling cancer.

If you’re able to donate or share this page, it would mean the world to me and my loved ones. Your kindness gives me strength and hope amid this storm.

With love and gratitude,

Sara Gollihar