For a long time, I thought I was dealing with a pinched nerve.

What started suddenly in August 2023 turned into ongoing pain in my chest and side that I could not seem to fix. I tried everything I could think of to get relief, including chiropractic care, physical therapy, and injections, but the pain kept lingering, and the answers never really came.

Then, after another trip to the emergency room in September, a scan found something earlier tests had missed: a small tumor on my left 10th rib. That was the moment everything changed. Instead of a nerve issue, I was facing a diagnosis of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, or EHE, an ultra-rare cancer that very few people have ever heard of.

Like so many people affected by rare cancers, I quickly learned how isolating and uncertain this road can feel. When a disease is this rare, information is limited, awareness is low, and research is often underfunded. That is one of the reasons I decided to speak publicly and turn my experience into action.

I am fundraising for the EHE Foundation because no one should have to face EHE without support, information, and hope. The EHE Foundation is working to advance research, connect patients and families, and build a future where this disease is better understood, better treated, and one day no longer feared. By supporting this fundraiser, you are helping raise awareness of EHE and fuel progress for everyone affected by it.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and thank you for standing with the EHE community and me.