Standing with Rachel: Cancer, Illness, and Hope

On November 28, 2025 Rachel was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. After two surgeries, she was told that there were cancerous cells where her thyroid used to be. Despite her diagnosis Rachel felt called to participate in a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Even after being told there are still cancer cells and the proposed treatment of radioactive iodine Rachel fulfilled her call to serve the people of a small village in the Dominican Republic where she contracted a rare fungal infection in her ear due to the unclean water. Misdiagnosed, the infection raged out of control causing her to endure a tremendous amount of pain. After attempting her radioactive iodine treatment and having a bad reaction to the premedication used, she was transported to UNC Chapel Hill. They discovered she was extremely dehydrated due to the adverse reaction to the Thyrogen, which caused an acute kidney injury. During the time there treating the kidneys, the staff there were able to correctly diagnose the fungal infection in her ear. Rachel has also been experiencing vertigo as her sense of balance has been thrown off due to the fungal infection, giving her a lot of dizziness and nausea. Her ear infection had progressed so far, due to the nearly 3 weeks of misdiagnosis, that she required surgery on her ear to remove enough of the disease to allow the prescribed ear treatment to work. Because she has been suffering from weakness due to lack of nourishment and dehydration, and pain in the ear, neck, face/jaw they tested her spinal cord fluid and found it is very low. This has caused a flare up of her Chronic Adhesive Arachnoiditis, a spinal condition she developed due to complications when she gave birth to her third child, Bentley. This forced her into a wheelchair at the time of his birth, and threatens to do so now, as well. While the doctors treat her ear and her (hopefully) temporary paralysis, her endocrinologist told her she must be healed of the fungal infection in her ear before he can restart the radioactive iodine treatment for her remaining thyroid cancer. After spending 3 1⁄2 weeks in the hospital, Rachel is now at a rehab facility in Hillsborough for a yet undetermined amount of time. All of these diagnoses are difficult enough on their own but when combined make it impossible for Rachel to work. We are asking you, her friends and family, to help out in any way you can to offset some of her medical and living expenses.

Rachel’s heart for serving the Lord and others extends well beyond her work as a Christian Counselor; displayed in not just being called to formal international missions, as she was this summer, but in the weekly devotion she has to serve extensively in children’s ministry at her church, as well as regularly giving her time and abilities to help others with childcare needs, cooking meals & baking treats, encouraging and supporting her friends, and simply always having her eyes open to the needs of others and how she can fill them! As she loves to serve, join using the joy of serving her in this difficult time!