A Journey of Strength, Hope, and Community

When Nikisha Hill looks back on the last few years of her life, she sees a journey marked by fear, resilience, unexpected challenges, and overwhelming gratitude. Her cancer story is not just about diagnosis and treatment, but about perseverance, family, and the role of community following a cancer diagnosis.

In 2023, Nikisha went in for what she thought was a routine check-up after experiencing stomach problems. That visit changed everything. She was diagnosed with colon cancer, thankfully caught early enough that it was not referenced by a “stage”. Surgery was the only treatment required, and at the time, she felt hopeful that the worst was behind her.

But in 2024, Nikisha received another devastating diagnosis: stage 1 liver cancer. This time, the journey was far more complicated. Her doctors recommended 12 rounds of chemotherapy. She began treatment in February of 2025, and soon after, her care team decided surgery could not wait. In April, surgeons removed a portion of her liver. Nikisha woke up with 27 staples and a long recovery ahead.

Chemotherapy was anything but straightforward. Nikisha was only able to complete four rounds before surgery paused her treatment. When chemo resumed, her fifth treatment triggered a severe allergic reaction that landed her in the hospital.

For the next two months, Nikisha spent two days every other week hospitalized so doctors could administer her chemotherapy through a highly controlled desensitization process. The treatment had to be delivered slowly and carefully under careful observation. Eventually, she was able to resume her regular chemotherapy schedule and complete all 12 rounds as originally planned.

In October 2025, Nikisha received the news she had been fighting for. Her scans were clear. She rang the bell, marking the end of treatment and the beginning of recovery.

The Financial Reality of Cancer

Before cancer, Nikisha’s life was busy and full. As the mother of four, with two teenagers still at home, it was her young grandson who would become her greatest source of strength. Loving life in a small town, Nikisha worked two jobs and was managing life like so many working parents do.

Then cancer changed everything.

Nikisha had to stop working due to the physical toll of treatment. Although she applied for disability, she did not receive assistance until August. During that time, bills continued to pile up. Because her care team was based in York, traveling back and forth to her home near Gettysburg was both exhausting and financially impossible. Fortunately she was able to stay with family in York during the duration of her treatment. Still, the bills back at home had to be paid.

“I wasn’t working, and everything became overwhelming all at once,” she shared.

Nikisha learned about Vickie’s Angel Foundation through her care team, and the support she received made a lasting difference. “I love the folks at Vickie’s,” she said. “They helped me with my phone bill and my gas. I wouldn’t have been able to contact my doctor without them. I wouldn’t have been able to make my appointments or talk with my doctors.”

Vickie’s Angel Foundation also helped Nikisha with car insurance and a utility bill during one of her most difficult periods. As she tried to catch up financially, the Foundation stepped in again during the holidays. “When they sent a Christmas wish list for my two teenage daughters, without them I just couldn’t have done it,” Nikisha shared. Beyond the financial strain, cancer reshaped Nikisha’s entire world. Personally, your whole life is affected,” she explained. “It affects everyone you’re in contact with.”

Experiencing cancer up close gave Nikisha a new perspective on life, love, and what truly matters. “The first thing I thought of was, who’s going to take care of my kids? Who’s going to love my kids like I love my kids?”

Looking Ahead

Today, Nikisha has been cleared by her doctors and is beginning the search for work again, hoping to find something less physically demanding. While recovery is ongoing and energy levels still fluctuate, she continues to push forward. “I still try to keep my energy up, but it’s tough some days. I just keep pushing through.”

Nikisha hopes her story encourages others to listen to their bodies and seek medical care when something feels off. “If you feel like something is wrong, you know your own body. Go get checked,” she said. “If you know that’s not how it normally is, go get checked. Thankfully, we caught my cancer early.”

She also hopes people understand that help is available. “If you fall on hard times like this, there are people out there with good hearts who help you get through some of these hard times.”

Cancer Will Not Define Me: Tori's Story

Before cancer entered her life, Tori was constantly on the move. She worked full time across four different jobs, including bartending, managing, social media work, a cleaning job, and internet sales. Outside of work, she was deeply involved with friends and devoted to being a full time mom to her young son. Life was busy, demanding, and full.

Tori first went to her primary care doctor for what seemed like a routine issue. After being referred to a GI specialist and undergoing X rays, things escalated quickly. She was sent for a STAT CT scan and received a phone call that same day urging her to go to the emergency room immediately. Doctors discovered a large tumor in her abdomen, cancerous nodules in her lungs, and blood clots in her chest.

After days of testing in the hospital, Tori met with an oncologist who delivered devastating news. She had stage 4 ovarian cancer.

“The diagnosis felt like my life was taken from me,” Tori shared. “The decision to ever have more children was suddenly gone. I felt completely overwhelmed by the uncertainty of my future.”

Over time, Tori reframed her diagnosis not as an ending, but as a journey. Leaning into her faith, she chose to focus on growth, strength, and positivity, even in the midst of fear.

The Financial Reality of Cancer

Cancer did not only take an emotional toll. It quickly created financial hardship as well.

Chemotherapy made it impossible for Tori to continue bartending, and her doctors advised her to stop working in that role. The social media job tied to that position was also taken away because she could no longer be present for events. Eventually, her full time desk job in internet sales became unsustainable due to constant fatigue and illness from treatment.

The only work she was able to keep was her cleaning job, which provided income just twice a month. For someone who had always worked hard and provided independently for herself and her son, this sudden loss of income was overwhelming.

“I had savings, and I am grateful for that,” she said. “But as the sole provider for everything, it drained very quickly.”

Learning to Ask for Help

Tori first learned about Vickie’s Angel Foundation through her social worker, who described the organization as extremely helpful. Still, reaching out did not come easily.

“I’ve always prided myself on my independence,” Tori explained. “Asking for help, especially financially, felt like a personal failure for me and for my son.”

Her diagnosis shifted that perspective. Tori began to see that asking for help was not weakness, but an act of trust and connection with others who genuinely wanted to support her.

When Support Becomes Hope

Vickie’s Angel Foundation stepped in at a critical moment. The Foundation covered two months of Tori’s rent and electric bill, ensuring that she and her son could remain in a warm, stable home.

“Each time they told me my rent was taken care of, I cried tears of relief,” she shared. “It gave me a sense of security that I desperately needed.”

The support extended beyond bills. During the holidays, when finances were especially tight, Vickie’s Angel Foundation provided Christmas gifts for Tori’s son.

“Seeing the excitement and joy on my son’s face was unforgettable,” she said. “I could not afford many gifts that year, and their generosity changed everything. It lifted such a heavy weight during the holidays.”

Her family felt the impact too. Tori’s mother was so grateful that she cried, knowing how much her daughter had been struggling.

Redefining Normal

Since her diagnosis, Tori’s priorities have shifted. She focuses more clearly on what truly matters and lets go of what does not.

“One way I manage is by redefining what normal looks like,” she explained. “Bald Tori is normal Tori. Tired Tori is normal Tori. Tori on chemotherapy is normal Tori. This is my life right now, and that is okay.”

By giving herself grace and being kind to her body, Tori continues to push forward one day at a time.

What Hope Means

For Tori, hope is not abstract. It is active and powerful.

“Hope is what drives me toward the finish line I envision,” she said. “It outweighs fear. Every cancer patient needs to remember that.”

On the hardest days, her greatest motivation is her son. Walks with her dog, time with friends and family, and moments in nature help her stay grounded and focused.

“Cancer will not define me,” Tori said. “It is part of my journey, but it is not who I am.”

A Message for Others

When people read her story, Tori hopes they walk away with one simple message.

“Be kind to yourself,” she said. “Do not be afraid of cancer. Life is not any less beautiful because of it.”

She still finds joy in nature, in relationships, and in simply feeling the morning air. Cancer is a rollercoaster, but Tori believes it does not take away the ability to live a meaningful and beautiful life.

“I look for the most positive thing in every day,” she shared. “God has given me this journey for a reason, and I trust that His plans and purpose will unfold.”

At Vickie’s Angel Foundation, stories like Tori’s remind us why we do what we do. When the burden of cancer becomes too heavy, hope, compassion, and community can make all the difference.

Vickie’s Angel Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing a temporary financial bridge to help families battling cancer. We provide financial support for essential, non-medical needs such as rent, mortgage payment, utilities, transportation, and food. The foundation operates in an effort to remove the toxic stress of unpaid bills so the individual and their family can focus on their health. Through community-driven fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and generous individual donations, Vickie’s Angel Foundation ensures that 100% of donations directly support families in need. Guided by the values of love, faith, and hope, the foundation has touched thousands of lives by offering not only financial relief but also compassion and encouragement during some of life’s most difficult moments.

In order to give 100% to those in need, we are supported by Guardian Angels.

For many years, Charity Navigator has consistently rated us a four-star charity. As the foremost nonprofit evaluator globally, Charity Navigator has scrutinized close to 200,000 charities, evaluating their financial stability, commitment to best practices, as well as their accountability, transparency, and impact. Check out our profile here.

When the Caregiver Becomes the Patient

This was the reality for one family supported by Vickie’s Angel Foundation.

The wife was diagnosed with advanced bile duct cancer after months of unexplained pain and sleepless nights. While she was still adjusting to treatment, her husband was rushed to the emergency room after severe symptoms he believed were minor. By morning, he too had been diagnosed with cancer.

Almost overnight, roles shifted. The caregiver became the patient. Then both did.

Her husband’s treatment left him unable to swallow or speak, requiring a feeding tube for nourishment. Radiation and chemotherapy caused rapid weight loss and extreme fatigue. Although his cancer was considered treatable, the toll of treatment was immediate and overwhelming.

Despite undergoing chemotherapy herself, the wife continued to care for her husband and manage their household as best she could. Fatigue, pain, and side effects made even routine tasks exhausting, yet she pushed forward, resting when needed and focusing on getting through each day.

Neither was able to work during treatment. With medical restrictions, compromised immune systems, and physical limitations, employment was not an option. As bills continued to arrive, rent and car payments quickly became a source of fear and stress.

Support from local organizations and community partners helped stabilize the family during this time. Assistance with essential bills allowed them to focus on treatment, recovery, and caring for one another rather than facing financial collapse.

Their story reflects a reality many families experience during cancer treatment. Sometimes, the illness does not affect just one person. It reshapes an entire household.

At Vickie’s Angel Foundation, we exist for moments like these. When families cannot work, but bills do not stop, community support can make the difference between stability and crisis.

The experiences shared in this story are real and come from individuals and families supported by Vickie’s Angel Foundation. Identifying details have been removed to protect privacy.

Vickie’s Angel Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing a temporary financial bridge to help families battling cancer. We provide financial support for essential, non-medical needs such as rent, mortgage payment, utilities, transportation, and food. The foundation operates in an effort to remove the toxic stress of unpaid bills so the individual and their family can focus on their health. Through community-driven fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and generous individual donations, Vickie’s Angel Foundation ensures that 100% of donations directly support families in need. Guided by the values of love, faith, and hope, the foundation has touched thousands of lives by offering not only financial relief but also compassion and encouragement during some of life’s most difficult moments.

In order to give 100% to those in need, we are supported by Guardian Angels.

For many years, Charity Navigator has consistently rated us a four-star charity. As the foremost nonprofit evaluator globally, Charity Navigator has scrutinized close to 200,000 charities, evaluating their financial stability, commitment to best practices, as well as their accountability, transparency, and impact. Check out our profile here.

A Wake Up Call

For Tommy, life was full. A dedicated massage therapist, passionate cook, loyal friend, and lifelong fan of the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers, he spent his days helping others feel better in their bodies, sharing home-cooked meals, and enjoying the little things, gardening, dinners with friends, and music.

So when his world shifted with a stage 4B prostate cancer diagnosis in 2024, it came without warning, and with no symptoms.

Years earlier, a massage client had encouraged Tommy to get checked, and he mentioned it to his doctor. A manual exam was performed, but no PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test was ordered. It wasn’t until June 2024, during a routine visit with a new doctor, that a PSA test was finally ordered, and revealed an alarmingly high level.

“It has been near devastating,” Tommy shared.

That test set off a whirlwind: an MRI, biopsy, PET scan, Mediport placement, and the beginning of chemotherapy and androgen-blocking therapy. The diagnosis was inoperable and incurable prostate cancer.

For Tommy and his family, the news was crushing, but it also became a powerful call to action.

“A cancer diagnosis is both an individual and family disease,” says his sister, Debbie, a retired nurse. “We serve as his advocates on this journey. It’s a road we’d prefer not to walk, but like the quote from Lilo & Stitch says: ‘Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.’”

For Tommy, the hardest part hasn’t been the treatments, it’s been accepting the diagnosis and knowing it might have been caught much earlier if routine PSA testing had been done.

That reality continues to motivate his family to share his story. If even one man asks for a PSA test because of Tommy, they say, the sharing will have been worth it.

Long before his diagnosis, Tommy offered free chair massages at a Vickie’s Angel Foundation fundraiser. Years later, it was that memory, and Debbie’s online search for help, that brought the family back to the Foundation for support.

“Talking with Mickey has been a special blessing,” Tommy said. “Words cannot express my gratitude for the help that Vickie’s Angels has given me.”

Tommy, who has spent his life quietly helping others, has been deeply moved by the kindness and generosity shown to him.

Tommy draws strength from educating himself, sharing stories with others who’ve walked this path, and leaning on friends and family. He gives a special thanks to Carlee Seele, owner of Moss Creek Art, for her ongoing support and comfort.

A Sister’s Message to the Men Reading This
Debbie is clear-eyed and passionate about what she’s learned. PSA testing is not perfect, elevated results don’t always mean cancer. But without it, many men are diagnosed too late.

“Prostate cancer has one of the highest cure rates if caught early,” she explains. “Mammograms and Pap smears can detect changes before symptoms appear. PSA screening should be approached with the same urgency.”

She also acknowledges the hesitance many men feel when it comes to reproductive health: fear, discomfort, and a desire not to know. But ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.

“You have to be your own advocate. Ask for a PSA test, it’s just a blood test. Don’t rely only on a digital rectal exam, which can miss cancer.”

She urges healthcare providers to have the hard conversations and encourages men to push for answers. If insurance or access to care is an issue, there are community resources that offer free testing, like Zero Cancer.

“A cancer diagnosis is a horrible place to find yourself,” Debbie says. “It’s exhausting. But awareness and knowledge are power.”

To the men who are putting off PSA testing: please, don’t wait.

NEVER. GIVE. UP. HOPE.

Vickie’s Angel Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing a temporary financial bridge to help families battling cancer. We provide financial support for essential, non-medical needs such as rent, mortgage payment, utilities, transportation, and food. The foundation operates in an effort to remove the toxic stress of unpaid bills so the individual and their family can focus on their health. Through community-driven fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and generous individual donations, Vickie’s Angel Foundation ensures that 100% of donations directly support families in need. Guided by the values of love, faith, and hope, the foundation has touched thousands of lives by offering not only financial relief but also compassion and encouragement during some of life’s most difficult moments.

In order to give 100% to those in need, we are supported by Guardian Angels.

For many years, Charity Navigator has consistently rated us a four-star charity. As the foremost nonprofit evaluator globally, Charity Navigator has scrutinized close to 200,000 charities, evaluating their financial stability, commitment to best practices, as well as their accountability, transparency, and impact. Check out our profile here.

Faith Family and Hope

Update December 5, 2025: Christina recently visited our offices to pull the winner of our 5th Annual Maui Vacation Raffle and while there, she shared the wonderful news that she is free from signs of disease! After pulling that lucky winner, and volunteering to go along as a plus one, she sat down with Dennis Owens from WHTM TV 27, to share how our mission impacted her life. You can watch the interview here - https://bit.ly/48VwAN2.

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Before her diagnosis, Christina was always the one helping others. A single mom, she poured her energy into her community as a Girl Scout leader and as a volunteer at the local firehouse. She loved gathering with friends for game nights and bonfires, cherishing time with the people she loves. When she moved to Pennsylvania, the pandemic forced her to put some of that on hold, but her heart for people never changed.

Her breast cancer journey began in an unexpected way. Christina calls herself her dog Lucy’s “support human”, saying that one evening, while resting together, Lucy kept laying her head across Christina’s chest, drawing attention to a lump that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. That moment led to testing and, ultimately, a diagnosis of two types of cancer: both hormone based and triple-negative, a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer.

The diagnosis upended her life in countless ways. Christina quickly exhausted all her paid time off just trying to keep up with treatments. Living paycheck to paycheck, she struggled to cover extra medical expenses. Just two days shy of her 50th birthday, steroid-induced diabetes sent her glucose level skyrocketing to 489, leaving her vision blurry and her body so weak she could no longer climb stairs. Eventually, she had to go on disability, which left her about $700 short each pay.

“It was very stressful,” Christina recalled. “If Vickie’s Angel Foundation hadn’t stepped in, I don’t know what would have happened. You came in clutch, releasing so many burdens for me.”

Christina first learned about Vickie’s Angel Foundation through her church and her Nurse Navigator at Apple Hill. We stepped in to pay her mortgage as she prepared for surgery, easing her stress so she could focus on healing and caring for her kids. Later, through our holiday program, we connected her family with Violet Hill United Methodist Church, which sponsored her children at Christmas.

“100% the Christmas experience stands out to me,” she said. “It allowed my kids to just be kids. That was so impactful.”

For Christina, hope comes from knowing that organizations like Vickie’s Angel Foundation exist. “It restores your faith in humanity,” she said. “There’s no way to give back what I’ve received.”

Today, after 16 rounds of chemotherapy, 20 radiation treatments, surgery, and now medication she’ll continue for years, Christina draws her strength from God and her children. She’s also turning her gratitude into action by leading an Angel Walk team called Christina’s Crabbie Cha Cha’s.

“I just want people to know how much of a difference this makes. Financially, emotionally, spiritually, it’s everything. No matter what I raise, it will never be enough to repay the support I’ve been given.”

From Relief to Giving Back: Jennifer Schweighart’s Story

When Jennifer Schweighart’s family turned to Vickie’s Angel Foundation in 2016, they were in the midst of a difficult fight. Her mother, Debra Waligora, was traveling to Philadelphia for experimental treatment, and the financial strain weighed heavily on the family. Within 48 hours of applying, VAF provided the support her parents needed for travel expenses.

Jennifer remembers the moment clearly: “It was such a relief. Such a gift.”

That immediate help allowed her mother to continue treatment and gave the family the space to focus on what mattered most. Jennifer recalls receiving an email from founder Mickey Minnich and hugging her father with tears in their eyes. That compassion left a lasting mark.

A Legacy of Creativity and Care

Debra was known for her creativity and love of crafting. She poured her talents into designing beautiful gift baskets, which she sold at craft shows and shared with others. Jennifer often helped her mother at these shows, with her dad by her side. Crafting wasn’t just a hobby, it was an expression of love and generosity.

That spirit continues through Jennifer and her family today. In honor of her mother, they formed a VAF Walk team called Debbie’s Darlings. Their logo, in purple and yellow, honors appendix cancer awareness and carries her mother’s legacy forward.

From Recipient to Volunteer

Over the years, Jennifer has become a dedicated VAF volunteer. She has solicited and collected raffle baskets from local businesses, helped coordinate raffle efforts at past Angel Walks, and continues to support the basket raffle each year. “It’s been a blessing,” she says. “I want to pay it forward by volunteering, by advocating, by giving back wherever I can.”

Her team, Debbie’s Darlings, creates and donates multiple baskets each year, often beautifully themed and filled with thoughtful items. In fact, for this year’s 20th Angel Walk, Jennifer and her team members created eight baskets for families and supporters to enjoy.

More Than a Walk

For Jennifer, the Angel Walk is more than an event. It’s a chance to celebrate her mother’s memory, bring her family together, and share joy with other families facing cancer. She recalls the energy of past Walks, the purple tablecloths, the gold raffle bags, and the teamwork of friends, family, and volunteers working side by side.

Those moments, she says, are filled with love.

“There are so many memories tied to these baskets and this event. It’s part of our story.”

Carrying the Mission Forward

Jennifer’s journey with Vickie’s Angel Foundation reflects the heart of our mission: to walk alongside families during their hardest days, and to inspire a cycle of hope and generosity that continues long after. We are honored to have Jennifer and Debbie’s Darlings as part of our Angel Walk family. Her story is a reminder that every act of giving creates ripples of kindness that live on.

Finding Strength Through Faith: One Woman's Journey

Before her diagnosis, life was filled with simple joys, spending time with family and friends, working at her longtime job, and praising God in church. A natural homebody, she loved curling up at home with a good book or her favorite shows, finding comfort in laughter and the warmth of loved ones.

That all shifted in early 2025. While showering, she noticed a lump and began having difficulty closing her right arm fully. Her primary doctor initially dismissed it as a fibroid, but she felt led to seek a second opinion from Dr. Sharee Livingston. That decision changed everything. On February 14, 2025, Valentine’s Day, she was diagnosed with grade 3, stage 2b triple-negative breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma.

At just 28 years old, she was preparing for the fight of her life.

Facing the Diagnosis

The weight of the diagnosis hit hard. A two-time suicide survivor, she had fought long and hard to reclaim her life from depression and suicidal thoughts. Hearing the words “you have cancer” felt like her life was being stolen again. She gave herself 48 hours to cry, pray, and prepare for what was ahead. Then she made a promise: she would fight with everything she had.

That fight meant facing new challenges. She needed eight cycles of chemotherapy, which forced her to cut her work schedule from full-time to just one or two days a week. Bills piled up quickly, and the financial burden added to the strain. But she held tight to faith, saying, “With a lot of water and prayer, I would squeeze in another workday. God was always on time.”

Finding Vickie’s Angel Foundation

It was her social worker, Jennie Lawler, who told her about Vickie’s Angel Foundation. At first, she was hesitant to reach out. Pride and guilt made her feel like others had it worse, mothers, grandmothers, families with children. But with rent overdue and her bank account in the negative, she made the call.

That decision brought a wave of relief.

“VAF stepped in and became a foundation that I will forever be grateful for,” she shared. “They helped me take the financial burden off my shoulders so I could focus on staying healthy and beating cancer. A bill never went unpaid. A rent payment was made without hesitation. I never lacked a meal. The day I spoke to Mickey Minnich and the committee, I knew it was God doing his work.”

Hope, Faith, and a New Perspective

Through it all, her faith remained the cornerstone of her journey. She said that getting breast cancer was, in many ways, the best thing that ever happened to her.

“My walk with Christ strengthened me. I learned how important it is to smile and be kind. At the infusion center, you have a choice: to be sad and question God, or to put your faith in His healing power and make the best of it. My faith kept me in the ring, my faith kept me grounded, and my faith got me through chemotherapy with pure joy and happiness.”

Her younger sister Ashley was also a source of strength. Through laughter, encouragement, and constant support, Ashley reminded her why she needed to keep fighting. “It’s always been me and my younger sister getting through life together. I had to be here for her,” she said.

Cancer changed her outlook on life. She now sees each day as a gift. “I learned that I am more than my hair, more than an employee, more than a sister or friend. I was able to rest without guilt, to see how precious life really is, and to understand that even a smile can change someone’s day.”

Giving Back

Gratitude inspired her to give back. As a member of her workplace’s social committee, she helped organize a Spirit Week fundraiser with proceeds supporting Vickie’s Angel Foundation. For her, it was a way to pay it forward and ensure other families in need could receive the same support.

A Message of Hope

Her journey has been marked by immense challenges, three stillbirths, two suicide attempts, and now surviving aggressive breast cancer. But she stands as a living testimony to resilience, faith, and the power of hope.

“I want people to know that God is always on time. No matter what life throws at you, always smile. Storms may come, but there is always light on the other side. Your journey may not always be for you; it may be to inspire someone else. Lean on your faith, take the trip, do something uncomfortable, walk by the water and see how beautiful life is. Life is truly a gift, and even when you feel alone, know that someone is fighting with you.”

Vickie’s Angel Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing a temporary financial bridge to help families battling cancer. We provide financial support for essential, non-medical needs such as rent, mortgage payment, utilities, transportation, and food. The foundation operates in an effort to remove the toxic stress of unpaid bills so the individual and their family can focus on their health. Through community-driven fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and generous individual donations, Vickie’s Angel Foundation ensures that 100% of donations directly support families in need. Guided by the values of love, faith, and hope, the foundation has touched thousands of lives by offering not only financial relief but also compassion and encouragement during some of life’s most difficult moments.

In order to give 100% to those in need, we are supported by Guardian Angels.

For many years, Charity Navigator has consistently rated us a four-star charity. As the foremost nonprofit evaluator globally, Charity Navigator has scrutinized close to 200,000 charities, evaluating their financial stability, commitment to best practices, as well as their accountability, transparency, and impact. Check out our profile here.

Driven by Hope

An experienced delivery driver, 37 year old Patrick Herr knew how to navigate busy roads and daily routines. But in August 2023, Patrick and his family hit an unexpected roadblock. Just like a sudden detour on his familiar route, cancer stopped Patrick in his tracks, forcing him to confront a path he never planned to take.

After a routine doctor’s appointment showed irregular bloodwork, Patrick underwent an ultrasound, PET scan, and biopsy. On October 12, he was diagnosed with Stage IIB Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, meaning cancer had spread to two of his lymph nodes.

Patrick hoped to keep working while undergoing chemotherapy, but his employer was unwilling to accommodate a modified schedule. He was granted FMLA but eventually lost his job, and with it, the healthcare benefits his family depended on.

The Fight Begins

Less than two weeks after his diagnosis, Patrick began extremely harsh bi-weekly chemotherapy treatments that lasted until early December. While the initial treatments seemed promising, a mid-February scan revealed the cancer wasn’t responding as expected. Doctors pivoted, performing surgery and starting new treatments, including immunotherapy mixed with chemotherapy.

Through it all, the Herr’s worked hard to stay afloat. Friends provided meals and organized fundraisers, but as Patrick’s wife, Keri, shared, “Friends and family can only buy so many sub sandwiches.” By early 2024, Patrick’s FMLA and short-term disability had expired, and by May the family was relying on government assistance.

“We honestly thought we were okay, we had savings and a strong support system, but the amount of time and effort cancer takes from you is overwhelming,” Keri explained.

Turning to Vickie’s Angel Foundation

As the family struggled with bills and mounting stress, Keri finally reached out to Vickie’s Angel Foundation, omething she wishes she had done sooner.

“I was amazed. It was less than a week after we submitted our application that we heard from the Foundation,” she said. “At the end of our first conversation, we actually had hope that we would not be financially ruined by the time this was over.”

VAF quickly stepped in to help with mortgage payments, car payments, car insurance, and utility bills, so they could focus on healing.

Hope Through Stem Cell Transplant

Doctors were eventually able to harvest Patrick’s stem cells, an extraordinary process that doesn’t work for everyone. In Patrick’s case, doctors collected 24 million stem cells, enough to use what he needed, freeze some for the future, and donate the rest to another patient in need.

“It was amazing to see how horrible he was and how great he got,” Keri said. She credited the Hershey Cancer Center for excellent care and support, and called Patrick “a champ” for enduring the grueling process.

Still, cancer remained relentless. After his stem cell transplant, Patrick’s immune system was as vulnerable as a newborn’s. He needed round-the-clock care, which meant Keri couldn’t work either. The Herrs’ leaned on Vickie’s Angel Foundation again, and Keri summed it up best: “The Foundation really is a beacon of hope.”

Finding Light in the Darkness

Support from VAF didn’t just ease financial stress, it also brought joy during difficult times. The Herrs’ Christmas was brightened with gifts for their sons, 12-year-old Lucas and 6-year-old Jackson.

“The Vickie’s Angel Foundation Christmas party was a big hit with our family,” Keri shared. Meeting Santa and connecting with other families gave them memories that strengthened their spirits.

A Rebirth and a New Role

On October 2, 2024, Patrick celebrated his “Rebirth Day,” the day of his stem cell transplant. As of February 2025, his cancer is officially in remission.

This summer, Patrick is proudly back on the field, coaching both of his sons’ baseball teams. To his family, and to the community around him, Patrick is more than a survivor. He is a role model, a father, and a shining example of faith, resilience, and the power of support.

Vickie’s Angel Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing a temporary financial bridge to help families battling cancer. We provide financial support for essential, non-medical needs such as rent, mortgage payment, utilities, transportation, and food. The foundation operates in an effort to remove the toxic stress of unpaid bills so the individual and their family can focus on their health. Through community-driven fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and generous individual donations, Vickie’s Angel Foundation ensures that 100% of donations directly support families in need. Guided by the values of love, faith, and hope, the foundation has touched thousands of lives by offering not only financial relief but also compassion and encouragement during some of life’s most difficult moments.

In order to give 100% to those in need, we are supported by Guardian Angels.

For many years, Charity Navigator has consistently rated us a four-star charity. As the foremost nonprofit evaluator globally, Charity Navigator has scrutinized close to 200,000 charities, evaluating their financial stability, commitment to best practices, as well as their accountability, transparency, and impact. Check out our profile here.

A Voice of Strength

LaRae Mena

Prior to her diagnosis, LaRae Mena lived a vibrant life. As a human resources professional at a large security company, she balanced a busy schedule of pickleball, choral singing, and regular visits with family. Her life was full, until everything changed over Thanksgiving weekend in 2022.

She went to the emergency room due to unusual bleeding. A scan revealed a tumor the size of a pear that had already invaded the muscle wall of her bladder. Within days, LaRae underwent surgery to remove 90% of the tumor. Chemo wasn’t immediately an option since the cancer was already at stage 3. Doctors quickly scheduled a radical surgery to remove her bladder and 89 pelvic lymph nodes. A neobladder was constructed from five feet of her intestine in hopes of restoring normal function.

In December 2022, just weeks after her diagnosis, she underwent this life altering, 12-hour surgery. The recovery was grueling, and by February, she began chemo. She made it through four cycles before her body grew too weak to continue. Throughout the process, she lost over 60 pounds.

Her journey hasn’t gotten easier. The neobladder never worked. Continual incontinence made daily life miserable. Now, LaRae is preparing for another major surgery in June. This time to remove the neobladder and replace it with an Indiana pouch, allowing her to empty her bladder through a stoma near her belly button. It’s expected to be another long and complex procedure, with months of recovery ahead.

During her most difficult moments, including the end of an engagement, becoming a full-time caregiver for her mother with dementia, and facing financial uncertainty with no income, LaRae found help through a neighbor who had been supported by Vickie’s Angel Foundation. He pointed her in our direction.

“Vickie’s Angel Foundation came into my life at exactly the right time,” she shared. “I didn’t know how I was going to pay my bills. I had no income. I would have lost the roof over my head if it wasn’t for them.”

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to pay LaRae’s rent, some utilities, and provide gift cards for food. Our support allowed her to focus on what mattered most, healing, being present with her mother and son, and making it to her medical appointments.

LaRae has also experienced beautiful and unexpected blessings. She recently reconnected with her biological sister. Both women had been given up for adoption to different families.  After finding each other in recent years, they discovered they live only an hour apart. They’ve even connected with their birth mother, still living in Canada. LaRae plans to finally meet her mother following her recovery.

LaRae and her son.

LaRae’s name carries a legacy of compassion and remembrance. During World War II, her uncle was cared for by a kind French nurse named LaRae. After the nurse was killed in a bombing, he asked his mother, then pregnant, to name the baby LaRae if it was a girl. She did. When adopted years later, then named Patricia, her new mother honored that legacy by renaming her LaRae. Today, those qualities of compassion and remembrance shine through in her life.

Despite the hardships, LaRae’s faith has deepened. “I’ve always gone to church, but during my hardest times, I felt defeated,” she said. “Since my diagnosis, my relationship with God has come full force. He’s put people in my life when I needed them, and I really needed Vickie’s Angel Foundation.”

Today, LaRae gardens, focuses on healing, and dreams of singing again. With nine years of vocal training and a history of performing in church, she hopes to one day sing on stage at Sight & Sound Theatres. She hopes to attend the Angel Walk in October and may even sing!

Vickie’s Angel Foundation was created for stories like LaRae’s. We are a temporary financial bridge, a Beacon of Hope, when people need it most.

Vickie’s Angel Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing a temporary financial bridge to help families battling cancer. We provide financial support for essential, non-medical needs such as rent, mortgage payment, utilities, transportation, and food. The foundation operates in an effort to remove the toxic stress of unpaid bills so the individual and their family can focus on their health. Through community-driven fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and generous individual donations, Vickie’s Angel Foundation ensures that 100% of donations directly support families in need. Guided by the values of love, faith, and hope, the foundation has touched thousands of lives by offering not only financial relief but also compassion and encouragement during some of life’s most difficult moments.

In order to give 100% to those in need, we are supported by Guardian Angels.

For many years, Charity Navigator has consistently rated us a four-star charity. As the foremost nonprofit evaluator globally, Charity Navigator has scrutinized close to 200,000 charities, evaluating their financial stability, commitment to best practices, as well as their accountability, transparency, and impact. Check out our profile here.

Keeping Positive

By Nancy Eshelman

Florida sun burns down hot. Working outside 14-15 hours a day can be dangerous. Just ask Rodney Updegrave.

Rodney burned his shoulder in 2019 while working construction and maintenance in Florida. The small burn from a cigarette ash never properly healed due to exposure to the sun. Instead, it got larger and nastier, until one day Rodney decided he had better see a doctor.

The diagnosis was basal cell carcinoma, which the Skin Cancer Foundation calls the most common skin cancer in the United States. It's also the most frequently occurring cancer overall.

How frequent?

About 4.3 million cases are diagnosed in the country every year, and medical folks call that an underestimate. An aging population that has spent more time in the sun has more chance of developing skin cancer. Also, the depletion of the ozone layer has increased the risks.

"I left it go too long," said Rodney, who's 58.

Rodney wound up having surgery and skin grafts in the Lehigh Valley Health Network. He's been living in his native Schuylkill County, in Pine Grove, an hour and a half away from his doctors. He's on his own, and had some savings, but nothing lasts forever. He found himself selling three-fourths of his possessions.

Then he found Vickie's Angel Foundation. They have paid his rent and utilities. He calls the organization a godsend, but not just for monetary reasons.

"God connected me to them," he said.

In fact, Rodney is convinced that everything now is in sacred hands.

"All that happens from now on is God working me on my path," he said. "I believe all this was designed. It was a miracle for me, and it's not about the money."

Rodney said Mickey and Grace have provided much-appreciated encouragement and understanding as he walks his path. A phone call to or from either of them is a medicine of its own.

"They are the best people I have ever met," he said. "If heaven is anything like them, I can't wait to get there."

Currently, Rodney is undergoing physical therapy to restore the use of his shoulder, and caring for the 4x9 patch on his leg where skin was removed as a graft for his shoulder. In the future, he will have to stay out of the sun and remain vigilant, as doctors say his cancer has a 90 percent chance of reoccurring.

His ultimate goal, however, is to heal, so he can reach out and help others.

Rodney has had experience helping people through Alcoholics Anonymous and would like to put those skills to use in a substance abuse rehab. God, he said, "put me through this so I can help someone else."

Vickie’s Angel Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing a temporary financial bridge to help families battling cancer. We provide financial support for essential, non-medical needs such as rent, mortgage payment, utilities, transportation, and food. The foundation operates in an effort to remove the toxic stress of unpaid bills so the individual and their family can focus on their health. Through community-driven fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and generous individual donations, Vickie’s Angel Foundation ensures that 100% of donations directly support families in need. Guided by the values of love, faith, and hope, the foundation has touched thousands of lives by offering not only financial relief but also compassion and encouragement during some of life’s most difficult moments.

In order to give 100% to those in need, we are supported by Guardian Angels.

For many years, Charity Navigator has consistently rated us a four-star charity. As the foremost nonprofit evaluator globally, Charity Navigator has scrutinized close to 200,000 charities, evaluating their financial stability, commitment to best practices, as well as their accountability, transparency, and impact. Check out our profile here.