Alyssa 16 is fighting RARE Anaplastic LymphomA

My name is Tami Gaston from Gering, Nebraska, and I am starting a medical fundraising campaign on behalf of a gorgeous, 16-year-old young lady who is beautiful both inside and out, my adopted niece ALYSSA SPURGEON, who was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 of a very rare cancer.

Her mother, Teresa Spurgeon, and I worked together and quickly became like like sisters. Her family, including her parents, adopted this Oklahoma girl a long way from home, and my parents adopted my best friend as a baby sister I didn't have. As a mom of 3 boys, Alyssa and twin sister Brianna became the daughters I never had, and I became Aunt Tami to the girls along with their two brothers after our family moved to Scottsbluff.

Until 6 weeks ago, Alyssa was an extremely active junior in organizations at Scottsbluff High School, constantly giving back to her school and community with the dream of becoming a doctor. She has kept her GPA high enough to be chosen by multiple colleges as only a junior. She also started working at Perkins in the fall.

After becoming ill for several weeks during Christmas break with no answers from doctors at home, Alyssa was transferred to Rocky Mountain Children's Hospital in Denver. After 3 weeks of tests came the devastating diagnosis of Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma. Alyssa will undergo chemo from now until at least the end of June. This cancer is fast-moving but also very treatable, and it's taken on the wrong warrior: ALYSSA STRONG!!!

Alyssa has been a giving child for a very long time. She started delivering meals on wheels with her Daddy as a middle school student and making elderly people extremely happy.

High school found her busier than ever with her involvement in HOSA- Health Student Organization, making both State and International competitions as only a sophomore; Circle of Friends, a student organization that mentors handicapped children; and she was nominated and accepted into National Honor Society; TriM music honor society; and Accapella choir. Alyssa learned her giving spirit from her parents, Darin and Teresa Spurgeon.

The Spurgeon family all give back to the community over and over. They put together a benefit when flooding devastated eastern Nebraska and blizzards were burying western Nebraska, and they opened their own home to my otherwise stranded family.

Many of Alyssa's accomplishments were completed during a very difficult time in the life of this community and the world: the COVID-19 pandemic. During COVID, the Spurgeons held benefits and food giveaways so parents could feed their children while schools were closed. The girls made sack lunches and helped them get ready for pickup. The repercussions of this disease cost the Spurgeon family their business at the Oregon Trail Road House and Restaurant due to the multiple shutdowns from COVID.

Even during this difficult time of losing their family business and total income, when my own home burned to the ground and we lost everything we owned, they opened their home to me and my family while my husband was in the burn center in Colorado for 24 days. They helped other community members put together a benefit for our family as they have done for many other families in the North Platte Valley over the years.

After the closing of the restaurant, Darin found another job and was trying hard to get things better for his family -- until he recently lost his job just as Alyssa was getting her cancer diagnosis. This giving family needs the support of the community, friends and family at this extremely difficult time in their lives.

The donations will be used for daily living expenses for the family here in Scottsbluff such as rent, utilities and daily expenses; as well, as travel expenses for Darin and Brianna to go back and forth to Denver to visit Alyssa and Teresa as well as living expenses in Denver during Alyssa's treatments.

Please help this family, who have given so much to our community, take care of their daughter who is loved by so many.