Help Gracie Fight Cancer

The manual for composing a “Go Fund Me” description and asking for money because your sister has cancer doesn't exist and to put this into terms we all can understand, this SUCKS!

As many of you know, our sister Grace was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2019 and has been in remission for just a little over 2 years. Early this month, Grace was diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer. Cancer has returned spreading to her bones and she has a very very long road ahead of her. Anyone that knows our sister Grace knows that she is one of the most genuine and selfless people that we know. Grace never hesitates to do for others even if it means it may burden her. She doesn’t even think twice about herself before saying yes to practically everyone without ever expecting anything in return. When many of us think of our Gracie, there is a very funny story that comes to mind and we can’t help but laugh thinking about all those amazing one-of-a-kind memories. Which makes this so much harder to understand why this is happening to her. Our sweet, happy-go-lucky, all-smiles Gracie doesn’t deserve this hand she has been dealt. But she is surrounded by an army of people that love, support and pray for her. We will all help her battle this every step of the way.

Anyone who has a friend or family member battling metastatic breast cancer can understand the frustration and feeling of helplessness you have in not being able to do more for your loved one. We will never understand why this had to happen to our incredibly loving and giving sister. But we are not here to figure out cancer - we are here to support Grace in her fight against cancer and help her live as happy and healthy of a life as she can in the time she has.

Over the past few weeks, we have been bombarded with requests from so many asking how they can help Grace and at first, the first thing that came to mind was just to keep saying prayers. More prayers. Well, each day over the last 2 weeks seems to be a little different and just slightly worse from the day before and now we have a better idea of what we’re up against. Grace has reached a point where she is no longer able to work. With three children, Derrick (4), Delanie (4) and Charlie (10), this will be extremely difficult and will cause some financial hardship.

There are still so many unknowns right now but here is what we do know. Grace’s cancer is stage 4, she will never go into remission, it will always be there, this is going to hurt and it sucks! She is on day 3 of her chemo and she will start radiation next Wednesday. She will be on/off chemo/treatment for the rest of her life. The cancer has spread to the top of her skull, left ribs, sternum, thoracic & lumbar spine, sacrum, entire left hip, and top portions of her femur bones in the areas closest to the hip joints. The progression of Grace’s symptoms just over the last 2 weeks tells us that her cancer is super aggressive. The cancer has completely consumed her left hip where she is no longer able to walk and is now in a wheelchair. She is in a ton of pain every day and it may be a while before that pain gets better. The bone in Grace’s left hip has deteriorated so much that she is a candidate for a total hip replacement. Because the risk of infection is too high for her, the only option for her right now is to stay off of her left leg and in the wheelchair. We have moved Grace and the kid's bedrooms to the main level so this will help with getting around in the wheelchair. We are in the process of pricing out wheelchair ramps for the front of the house but also for a wheelchair lift inside of the house. Grace has an appointment with MD Anderson in Houston on April 1st for a 2nd opinion and additional treatment options. Donations will help cover travel expenses and multiple trips or long stays. This is a huge part of the unknown. As if things weren’t stressful enough, the week Grace found out cancer had returned, her car died and so did Jaunna’s (our sister Grace lives with). We have family that without hesitation, provided a vehicle that Jaunna and Grace have been able to drive. Jaunna needs to go to work and Grace has doctor's appointments almost daily. While Grace is unable to drive herself right now, we are in hopes this won’t be the case forever but this is just another thing that she has been dealt.

So if you pray, please pray. If you vibe, vibe. If you send love, send it. If you’ve got a miracle, she needs it. Whether you spread the word about this fundraiser and/or contribute yourself, please know you are helping Grace and her family immensely. Your generous donations will help ease the financial stress for our sister and allow her mind to stay focused on what matters most - fighting for her life. All of your prayers, good vibes and love count as well. Thank you, thank you for all of your love and support!

You can also follow Grace’s story for updates on her Caring Bridge Site. The site includes links for her meal train (Click on Ways to Help Tab) and if you would like to sign up to take her to treatments and doctor's appointments (Click on the Planner Tab). I know a lot of you have been asking about helping with those and this site seemed like the easiest way for everyone to sign up. Again, thank you for all of your love and support.

https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/graciescancerjourney

From her sisters, Beth & Jaunna