Hello there, my mother’s name is Karen and I am Kelsey Rae, the youngest of her children. I have created this fundraiser on her behalf to help pay for her medical treatments, prescriptions, and bills while she’s fighting cancer.

In October of 2023, my mom was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma. Unfortunately, this isn’t her first bout with cancer. In the late 90s, when I was a small child, she was diagnosed with cervical and uterine cancer. This history, in a sense, made us lucky; mom has had yearly scans ever since, and because of that, the lung cancer was caught early. Her first scan revealed several tumors throughout her bronchial tube and lymph nodes, along with a brain lesion. She has responded well to her treatment, but this is a very aggressive cancer, so brain lesions continue to appear. In the last year, she has had treatment on 7 tumors and 12 brain lesions, which includes 6 rounds of chemotherapy (with more scheduled), 3 rounds of gamma knife radiation, and immunotherapy.

The financial aspect of cancer has finally become overwhelming. My heart breaks for my mother; when she should be focusing on fighting this monster that is cancer, she’s stressed over the calls and increasing pile of bills. The copays for her medications and regular tests alone are well over $1,000 a month, and to top that off, she has needed several treatments that Medicare has denied coverage on.

It wasn’t easy getting her to agree for me to make this fundraiser; asking for help almost goes against her nature. If anything, this shows me how heavy the financial burden is weighing on her. She has spent her whole life taking care of others, a single mother of 3 children, and viewed as Momma by many more. She is the person we all turn to for help and guidance; she’s never hesitated to do what she can for us. Karen has never known a stranger and doesn’t reserve her kindness for just loved ones. It’s like she projects a warmth people can sense that draws them to her. She is a safe space filled with love and laughter, and if you’ve ever met her, you know exactly what I mean.

I love my mom very much and ask you now to show her the same kindness and financial support she has given to so many others. Even on her hardest days, she hasn’t lost her faith in God and continues to push forward through the pain and exhaustion she faces. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and if you can, please donate to or share this GoFundMe so my mother can take a breath and focus on healing.

Finally, in classic Karen fashion, she wanted to make sure I express how important it is to stay on top of your health and visit your doctor annually. Young, old, healthy, or sick, it makes no difference to cancer, but being proactive can be the thing that saves your life. Thank you.

Xoxo, The Gilsons