This is our friend, Jessica. She grew up in Hawaii with her mom, Trish, and younger sister, Kiara, and moved to New York nearly 13 years ago for school. Jessica deeply loves her family, her partner, her friends, and her three kitties. She is a caretaker in every sense. She is always the first person to offer help and the last one to ask for it. This is why we (her friends) are stepping in to ask if you can help us support our incredible, brave friend and her family in their fight against cancer.

In July 2022, Jessica got the news that no one wants to hear: Trish was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. It had already spread and needed to be treated immediately. For two years, Jessica has put her mom first and foremost, flying back and forth between Honolulu and New York City to speak with countless doctors, to sit with her mom during rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and to help care for her mom and their home during her recovery periods. It has not been an easy journey, as the cancer has continued to spread despite their and their doctors’ best efforts.

In spite of these awful challenges, Jessica and her family have been able to find pockets of joy. Last summer, Jessica and her partner, Alexis, got engaged after five years together; and this spring, her sister, Kiara, graduated from university with her mom and sister cheering her on. The next big milestone is Jessica & Alexis’s wedding in March. But the family recently received the devastating news that the cancer has spread to Trish’s brain, and the March milestone may no longer be a realistic one. 

What lies ahead is the hope for a summer of memories, but the family is overwhelmed by the financial toll this journey has taken. Our request to donate is to ensure that Jessica, Kiara, and Trish can spend time together their childhood home in Honolulu and that we try to ease the medical debt Jessica and her sister will need to pay off as they say goodbye to their only parent. 

Jessica’s life has been far from easy or fair, but we dare you to find a more grateful and positive soul.  We would be so appreciative if you could donate to this page and give this beautiful family the support and relief they deserve. Thank you for reading.