UPDATE: I wanted to give an update and also repost the gofund me as I have seen and have been asked if Julia has a gofund me page.

Due to ongoing and increasing side effects of Julia’s Chemotherapy treatments, she recently had to take another step back from her job for approximately 8-10 weeks of FMLA / Short Term Disability. This will allow her to finisher her final rounds of chemo, her post chemo therapy, blood testing, PET Scans to confirm “NED” or No Evidence of Disease, and finally a final surgery to remove her chemo port. If all goes well, hopefully this will be the end of this awful nightmare and she can ring that bell. Then she can have a good start that will allow her to start on the next stage of healing that will take months after treatment is over. Think hand and feet neuropathy, brain fog/chemo brain, mental and emotional stress, getting back to being able to workout and train at the gym, getting feeling back in her lips and mouth, getting her taste back, being able to once again consume cold things and even just tolerate cold and cold air….. just in time for all the AC blasting and cold grocery stores that are a necessity in Phoenix, AZ in the summer!

One thing that Julia doesn’t speak about because as her sister I can tell you she is stubborn , strong and independent. But as much as she tried and fought to not have to go back on short term disability, for her health, healing and sanity she needed to. She had to do what was best for her to get through the hardest part of the chemo, as her oncologist reminded her time and again. The last treatments have been taxing and have caused her tremendous down time due to sickness and new medications to help with all the nasty side effects.

With all that said I know her pay has been cut once again with making the necessary decision to take short term disability. She took her leave April 11th and won’t be returning to work until approx June 20th.

So let’s help her get over the finish line as much as possible. Please, please share and give as you can. You all have been amazing, and seeing such support for my sister has been heartwarming and breathtaking. It’s time to help her finish this chapter off in a big way.

#Ringthatbell #JuliaStrong

Hello! My name is Ruth, and I am Julia's little sister. As many of you may already know, Julia was just diagnosed with colon cancer. She will be undergoing surgery this month to remove a mass, and then subsequently start chemo which will (at a minimum) last for the

. You could say she has a rough year already plotted out for her. But if you know Julia, she is a fighter and one of the strongest women I know.

Over the last few years Julia has taught me how to be strong, even when I am feeling weak, and how to look adversity in the eye without backing down. She is one of the bravest, and strongest people I know, and I have no doubt that she is going to kick cancers ass.I know that Julia would never tell you that she needs help, even when she does and she would rather help others than be helped herself. But this is not the time for that nonsense.

When it comes to having a major surgery, being out of work for a long time, missed work for ongoing doctors appointments and rounds of chemo, new doctor and hospital bills rolling in, meds, and so many hospital expenses the bills, and subsequent stress are going to be piling up. But this is where we get to help eliminate some

of that stress, and ease those burdens and give Julia back the ability to focus more on recovery and healing, and not worrying about how she's going to make ends meet.

You already know that Julia is never going to ask for this help (even if she needs it) so l am doing it for her. Let's all show her we have her back in this fight!!

#TeamJulia

#SmayStrong