**UPDATE**

After Emily’s last cancer treatment in December 2024, she experienced a period where the cancer responded well. Unfortunately, over the summer it began to grow again, causing significant pain and making daily life difficult.

In the fall, she spent time meeting with doctors to understand all of her options. After much prayer and many tears, she decided to move forward with surgery. December was filled with tests and appointments, and on New Year’s Eve they finalized the plan. 

Emily is facing a double mastectomy with immediate DIEP flap reconstruction on January 15th. This major surgery involves removing both breasts and using her own abdominal skin, fat, and blood vessels to naturally rebuild them. It's a complex, life-changing procedure performed by skilled microsurgeons, but it comes with a long, intensive recovery that will impact daily life for months.

In the first 2 weeks especially, Emily will need full assistance with nearly everything: personal care, getting dressed, eating, moving around the house, and basic tasks. She won’t be cleared to drive for about 6 weeks, and full healing—including regaining strength in her core and chest—can take several months or longer.

Michael will take time off work to be her primary caregiver during those crucial initial 2 weeks, providing the hands-on support she needs. However, he may not be able to manage household chores, errands, grocery shopping, or other responsibilities during this time (and as recovery continues).

Like so many facing serious medical journeys, the costs are overwhelming. Even with insurance, there are significant out-of-pocket expenses—deductibles, co-pays, additional tests, procedures, medications, and potential follow-up care—that have created mounting debt. The financial strain adds unnecessary stress when the focus should be solely on healing.

That’s why we’re turning to our caring community for help. Any support makes a tremendous difference:

• Practical help — Dropping off nourishing, high-protein meals (key for recovery!), running errands, helping with light household tasks, or even just checking in.

• Financial contributions — Every donation, big or small, will go directly toward easing the burden of medical bills and related costs so Emily can rest, recover, and reclaim her strength without worry.

Your generosity—whether through a meal, a ride, a kind word, or a donation—will lighten the load and remind us we’re not alone in this. We are so grateful for the love and support surrounding us during this challenging chapter. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for standing with Emily and Michael. 💕

With deepest appreciation,

Emily, Michael, and family

**original**

Help Emily Beat Breast Cancer Again!

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”  Revelation 21:4 (ESV)

Emily is the young mother of four beautiful young children ranging from 13 to 4 years of age, and wife to her husband, Michael--recently celebrating their 10th anniversary of marriage. But she is also so many other things too.

• She is a vibrant believer in Jesus Christ. She has a heart for single mothers because she was one too--God transformed her during this time in her life--and has previously served in children’s ministries helping disciple the next generation of believers.
• She is an accomplished homemaker dedicated to her family--sacrificing her time and energy to the care of her children and making her home to be a place of comfort and community to others.
• She is a homesteader wanting to transform how her family views the land, raising animals, farming, and to be closer to nature and see the Godmade beauty of this world He created.
• She is a homeschool educator and disciplemaker, focused on teaching her children the values, knowledge, and beliefs necessary to view the world as the God of the Bible does and become His disciples to all the nations.

In early 2022 she found out she developed breast cancer.

There was tears, fear, and pain that came from knowing that cancer had developed and could potentially cut Emily’s life short. And so with the diagnosis, former things did pass away and life altering steps were taken to treat breast cancer. Due to her underlying health issues she was hesitant to pursue radical surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation treatments that could destroy quality of life and still not effectively treat and cure cancer. Emily sought understanding of the problem and pursued learning about nontraditional treatments the same way she pursues God and other things in her life--with all her mind, heart, and soul.

To the glory of God and His healing power, Emily pursued nontraditional cancer treatment with trusted medical practitioners and was cancer free towards the end of 2022. We thought that death shall be no more at least due to cancer.

However, the cancer resurfaced a couple of months into 2023 and is more dangerous in nature than before. Instead of just one tumor like before, there are now 3 tumors, and the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes increasing the risk of the cancer spreading throughout her body.

Like before, Emily researched to find a more aggressive treatment, because this time there is not much time to act, and her very life is on the line. The same week she received the Pet Scan results she heard about a clinic that does treatments that involve a combination of immunotherapy and cryoablation. Two life saving procedures that can not only the current cancer but help Emily’s own immune system to recognize, attack, and destroy cancer cells. These treatments are not covered by medical insurance and are expensive.

Because of the previous fight with cancer, Emily’s family has accrued debt from the medical bills and cannot afford more treatments.

Emily and her family need your help in raising funds to pursue this life saving treatment.

Bottom line is this—if funds are not able to be raised through this effort then there will be no immunotherapy treatment for Emily. Based on discussions with the treatment center, we estimate cost for the cancer treatments and related expenses may be up to approximately $80,000.The goal is to raise at least $80,000 by the end of May. This timeframe will allow Emily to get her passport and be able to travel immediately to get her cancer treatment if the goal can be met. More than half of this goal will be used to cover the initial cost of treatment (approximately $45,000 to be paid before treatment).  However, there will be additional costs associated with the treatments that will need to be covered to include hospital and clinic fees, hotel stays for Emily and a family caregiver, cost for air travel to the treatment center and back home, and any other treatment related expenses, such as medications and supplementary treatments. In addition, the more money raised above the goal will help Emily’s family with paying off debt accrued last year to treat and beat the cancer the first time. This money will also help meet her family’s basic needs, including meeting any emerging financial needs and letting the family spend time together without worrying about those basic needs.

If you are not able to donate to this effort to get Emily treatment for cancer, then please pray for any or all of the following:

• Full and total healing for Emily from cancer.
• This fundraiser being fully funded within the requested timeframe.
• Sale of the family RV motorhome to help pay off debt accrued from treating cancer the last time.
• For the passports to arrive in a timely manner.
• For the cancer not to spread while she waits for treatment.
• For energy so Emily can perform and meet her daily responsibilities.
• For her pain to be manageable so that she can be present with her family and friends.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”     Romans 8:28 (ESV)

We know that nothing happens without God and that He works all things towards His purposes and for good. We pray that this campaign will show the power of God in providing for Emily and her family in their time of need! Please prayerfully consider donating to this fundraising campaign to help Emily beat breast cancer again!