"In Memory of Alyssa—For Everyone Touched by Cance

💜 In Memory of Alyssa — For Everyone Touched by Cancer 💜

Today, on Erie Gives Day, I want to share something very close to my heart and ask you to consider supporting the Erie Cancer Wellness Center.

Our daughter, Alyssa, passed away from cancer in January 2003 at just 28 years old. She left behind her beautiful daughter, Ashlynn, who was only 9 years old. Losing a child is something no parent should ever have to experience, and learning how to live in a world without her has been one of the hardest journeys of our lives.

But somewhere along that journey, the Erie Cancer Wellness Center helped Kevin and me find our way back to living again.

The Cancer Wellness Center isn't just for someone who currently has cancer. It is for anyone whose life has been touched by cancer — those going through treatment, cancer survivors, caregivers, family members, and those of us who have lost someone we love.

These days, it seems like almost everyone's life has been touched by cancer in some way.

When you walk through the doors of the Erie Cancer Wellness Center, you are welcomed with so much kindness and understanding. Honestly, it feels like getting a big hug when you're going through one of the hardest times in your life. You don't have to explain everything. The people there understand.

There are so many programs and services that help people along their journey — chair yoga, Fit & Fab, art therapy, music therapy, journaling, Reiki, free wigs for those who need them, and so much more. The list truly goes on and on.

And the center is growing. With that growth comes an even greater need for support so these important programs can continue and reach the people who need them.

I honestly don't know where Kevin and I would be without the Erie Cancer Wellness Center. It has given us a place to heal, to connect with others who understand, and most importantly, to slowly find our way back to living after losing Alyssa.

So as you consider where you would like to make a difference this Erie Gives Day, please consider donating to the Erie Cancer Wellness Center.

I’m sharing my Erie Gives fundraising link below. Please click on the link to go to my fundraising page and make your donation. Every gift, no matter the amount, can help the center continue these important programs and services for people in our community.

Your donation isn't just helping an organization. You're helping people find their way through cancer, through caregiving, through survivorship, and through grief. You're helping people remember that they don't have to walk their journey alone.

💜 For Alyssa. For Ashlynn. For Kevin and me. And for every family whose life has been touched by cancer.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us support a place that has meant so much to our family. 💜