My name is Stella, and I’m Sarah’s older sister. I was 17 when Sarah was diagnosed with cancer. I remember it like it was yesterday — how everything changed in an instant.
It started with a stomach ache. Sarah had complained about it for a few days, but we thought it was nothing, Mom took her to the doctor, and that’s when everything turned upside down. The doctor found a mass.
They told us she had neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive cancer, and that she’d need immediate surgery. The surgery was over $40,000. Then came the chemotherapy, 12 rounds, each one costing about $30,000. Radiation added another $50,000, and a bone marrow transplant was necessary — another $250,000. All of it, piled on top of the cost of hospital stays, medications, and tests, brought the total to nearly $900,000.
Mom and Dad did their best to handle it all. Dad worked extra shifts, and Mom didn’t leave the hospital. But no matter how hard they tried, the bills kept coming. Insurance covered some, but not nearly enough, the debt just kept growing. By the time Sarah passed away, we were left with over $100,000 in medical bills — debt we couldn’t escape, no matter how hard we tried.
Sarah fought with everything she had. She was only 6, and she was so brave. I watched her lose her hair, lose her smile, and finally, lose her life. She died on November 10, 2024, just 17 months after her diagnosis.
It’s hard to put into words the weight of that loss — losing my little sister and watching my family fall apart under the pressure of debts we couldn’t pay. I wish people understood how much it costs, not just to fight for a life, but to lose one. I don’t think we’ll ever fully recover from it.
I’m raising money to help my family pay off those bills and make sure Sarah has a nice place to rest. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.