I am Cheryl, and I am asking for help to steady my life while I fight colon cancer. I was diagnosed in October 2023 and have been on oral chemotherapy (a chemo pill) since then. The medicine is necessary, but it has made my symptoms worse and my stamina unpredictable, which means I cannot work reliably. I am starting this fundraiser to keep essential bills current so I can focus on treatment without losing the basic things that keep a person safe—power, water, and a car to reach the doctor. My income has dropped from about $3,000 a month to $1,452, and I am now trying to stretch every dollar across utilities, rent, insurance, and medical costs. I do not want to fall behind so far that I have to choose between a co-pay and keeping the lights on.

Before cancer, I kept several jobs to make ends meet: janitor/housekeeper in Jacksonville Beach cleaning buildings, condo cleaning, and seasonal event work at the Jaguars stadium during football season. I took pride in being dependable, and I loved the feeling of leaving a place cleaner and calmer than I found it. Since starting chemo, the side effects—fatigue, nausea, and pain—have made steady work impossible. I have tried to find help. I called a “society” I was referred to but never heard back. I contacted a cancer organization, but there was no assistance available for me. I am often told that being a homeowner disqualifies me from help; that may be the policy on paper, but it does not change the reality that I am not receiving any help today. My credit score is 505, and I am doing everything I can to avoid surrendering my car—it is my lifeline to treatment and, when I am able, to future work. My daughter has two children, and my son has four; they love me and help how they can, but they also have families depending on them. My brother is battling Stage 3 cancer and undergoing chemo right now as well. Our family is strong in spirit, but the financial strain has reached a point where I cannot carry it alone.

My immediate goal is to raise between $1,000 and $3,000 to catch up and stabilize the essentials for the next stretch of treatment. Here is how your help will be used, in order of urgency: (1) Utilities — to prevent shut-offs and keep my home safe during chemo; (2) Car insurance and related costs — to ensure I can legally and safely drive to oncology appointments and the pharmacy; (3) Medical co-pays and prescriptions — chemo pill monitoring, labs, and supportive medications; (4) Legacy debts and small balances that became unmanageable once my income fell — paying minimums to stop fees and collections; and (5) Basic living costs — groceries and household needs for days when I cannot work. If we meet the lower end of $1,000, I can immediately bring utilities current and pay the next car insurance installment. If support approaches $3,000, I can also cover several weeks of medical co-pays and stabilize the smallest debts that keep generating late fees. I will provide updates as I go and keep receipts for transparency, because I want you to see exactly how your kindness turns into heat, light, a safe drive to treatment, and medicine picked up on time.

Thank you for reading and for caring enough to consider a gift. I have always believed that dignity comes from showing up for your responsibilities and for other people. Cancer has made that harder, but it has not taken away my determination to keep going. A donation of any size, a share with a kind word, or a prayer for strength will help me stay on treatment and keep my home stable while I work toward recovery. I do not want to give up my car or lose the basics that took years of effort to build. With your support, I can get through this round of chemo, protect the essentials, and, when my body allows, return to the work I know and the independence I value. From my heart, thank you for standing with me in this season and helping me meet each bill—and each day—with a little more hope.