Support Kristen's Fight Against Colon Cancer

As many of you know, our good friend Kristen (McGuire) Holder discovered in May 2024 that she has Stage 3 colon cancer. She underwent a sigmoid colon resection two weeks after diagnosis to remove a large tumor that was causing a 95 percent blockage and horrific symptoms. Unfortunately, her biopsied lymph nodes show metastasis. She is undergoing an aggressive chemotherapy regimen. This will cause many adverse side effects that are cumulative as treatment progresses.

Kristen is a freelance SEO Content Writer and Data Analyst who is the breadwinner for her household. We consider her to be a part of our extended family and she needs us to rally around her.

This cancer diagnosis is the most recent blow in a series of tremendous losses over the last year. Her mother Arla died of pancreatic cancer. Anyone who knows Kristen knows that her fur babies are her family, and soon after her mother passed, her beloved cat of 10 years also succumbed to cancer. Then she was part of a mass layoff at work.

Although she quickly pivoted to the great job she has now, upon hire, her own cancer diagnosis struck. She discovered the severity of her illness a few days before her training was supposed to start. Still, she started her new job a week after major abdominal surgery.

Despite this, the time off created a huge setback that will become harder to overcome as she gets sicker. She also has few expendable resources to help with transportation, medical equipment, caregiving, medications, alternative treatment, and other necessary costs that will come up during her cancer journey.

Her health concerns are compounded by previous mobility issues caused by a catastrophic compound ankle/leg break that has healed incorrectly. This injury has impaired her ability to walk without a cane or walker and impaired her ability to drive. Her leg will require surgical correction, but in the meantime, it will worsen significantly with chemotherapy. One side effect of her chemotherapy will be nerve damage and mobility limitations in her limbs, which is likely permanent.

She has a long road ahead of her but she’s taking it on the chin with the brute force, stubbornness, grit, and determination we have all come to expect from Kristen – the woman who has fearlessly moved around four states solo to cities sight unseen and landed on her feet every time.

While her resolve to fight as hard as she can is intact, she is experiencing the kind of material instability that will require help from our community. Let’s support her as best as we can as she takes on one of life’s hardest challenges. This is her toughest battle yet, so let’s make sure that she lands on her feet after this trial, too. She deserves to focus on bravery right now, not her finances.

This fundraising campaign and her Amazon Wish List are two tangible ways we can help.

Every tiny bit helps, and nothing goes unnoticed. Thank you!