Hi, I'm Kayla. Most of you know me as a friend, a coworker, or maybe just someone you follow online. But today I'm writing to you as a daughter, and I need to ask for help for my mom.

My mom, Melissa, was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. Her doctors have told us the best path forward is a lobectomy, a surgery to remove part of her lung. It's serious, it's scary, and it's expensive in ways I didn't fully understand until we started getting into the details.

The surgery itself is the most urgent piece, but the costs don't stop there. While she recovers, she won't be able to work. That means we're looking at months of lost income on top of medical bills, and the very real possibility of losing her home if we can't bridge that gap. She has worked her whole life and has never been someone who asks for help. Getting her to agree to let me do this took some convincing, because that's just who she is.

But here's what I know: she is worth fighting for. She is one of the most hardworking, selfless people I have ever known, and right now she needs us to fight for her.

Every dollar raised goes directly toward her surgery costs, keeping a roof over her head while she heals, and covering the basic living expenses that don't pause just because life does. Our goal is $200,000, and I know that sounds like a lot. It is a lot. But even if you can only give a little, it adds up, and it means more than you know.

If you can't give, please share. Getting this in front of more people is just as valuable as a donation.

Thank you for reading this, for caring, and for showing up for my mom. She deserves to have more time, and I'm not ready to stop fighting for that.

With so much gratitude,

Kayla