Dear friends, family, and community members of the Gilbert family,

I am reaching out with a humble and heavy heart to ask for your support for Tommy and Leslie Gilbert during one of the most difficult times of their lives.

Tommy has recently been diagnosed with Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma—a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Because of how uncommon and fast-growing this cancer is, treatment is both intensive and not widely available.

His diagnosis has come as a shock, and his treatment journey is already underway with a full-body PET scan and port placement planned for this Friday. The road ahead will be difficult—starting Monday, Tommy will undergo 6 cycles of chemotherapy, each lasting 21 days. He will spend the first 6 days of every cycle hospitalized. The toll on his body will be significant, and it's uncertain whether he’ll be able to return to work at all over the next 18 weeks of this treatment. He will for sure be out of work for the next 4 weeks. The goal of this treatment is to shrink a 6x6x7 inch mass attached to Tommy’s heart and lungs so that it can hopefully be surgically removed.

Tommy has been a mechanic at Westar Aviation, and unfortunately, he has already exhausted all of his paid time off in the diagnosis stage. Leslie, his wife, is a beloved teacher in Catoosa County Public Schools and has spent many years investing in enhancing students’ lives and education at Cloud Springs Elementary. They are proud parents to a preteen daughter and two young sons whose lives are about to be flipped upside down.

For years, Tommy and Leslie have poured themselves into this community—teaching our children, mentoring the next generation, and showing up for others in times of need. Tommy and Leslie serve in the Children’s Ministry at their church as well as serving as the AWANA ministry leaders on Wednesday nights. Whether in the classroom or the church, the Gilberts have lived lives of quiet strength and unwavering service to others.

Now they need our help.

This diagnosis has placed a heavy emotional and financial burden on their family. If you know Tommy, you know he is not one to ask for help. The thought of taking “handouts” goes against how Tommy tries to live his life. The unfortunate reality is, between lost income, hospital stays, treatment costs, and the day-to-day needs of raising young children, the coming months will be overwhelming. Tommy’s greatest fear is his family losing everything over this unexpected critical illness.

Let’s show the Gilberts the same love and care they’ve shown so many of us. They serve selflessly, tirelessly, and unconditionally. Let’s come together and show this family that their service and sacrifice have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. Let’s shower this family in love and every prayer we can! If at all possible, any financial support would be so greatly appreciated.

Your donation—no matter how big or small—will help cover medical bills, travel to and from treatment, weeks of hospital stays, lost income, childcare assistance, and the many daily needs of their young family. Most importantly, your support allows them to focus on healing and holding their family together.