Ama's Army

Back in 2001, I loaded up the Buick LeSabre with my brother and we headed to Northern Indiana from Middle Kansas. Little did I know, I would arrive on my college campus overwhelmed by everything new and develop some of the best friends a lady could make.

I’ve never been to a large state school, but one of the pieces I love about small, liberal arts life is the community. The bond that comes from living with a random group of people: sharing bedrooms, taking classes together, showering in stalls one after the next, eating in the cafeteria and forcing your friends to sit on BOTH sides, piling as many bodies as you can onto a twin mattress. I found my people on the third floor of East Hall.

East Hall in the early 2000s was all female. [Interjection: THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. We have strong feelings about this, mostly based on nostalgia and not on anything practical. I worked as a Resident Director after graduating and I loooooooved working in a co-ed residence hall, but my precious baby East Hall is for the ladies only. Rant over.] I lugged my bags and boxes up the stairs and found myself amongst women from all over the Midwest, the United States, and even from across the ocean.

Now, being a small liberal arts college, Manchester had no Greek life outside of the Psi Chi [the psychology honor society], which I refused to pay dues to and never joined. I was a totally bombass psych major in college. Instead I joined a totally made up sorority we named Apple Pi Omega.

Apple Pi for short.

We’ve been through a lot together. Moves. New degrees. Marriage. Babies. Infertility. Divorce. New jobs. Depression. Engagements. Death. And now we’ve come to something new: cancer.

Ugh.

Ama, was diagnosed with stage 3C invasive ductal carcinoma. Breast cancer. Diagnosis November 1, port placement November 2, a cancelled trip to Egypt November 7, and chemo November 14.

Ama is our Rainbow Unicorn. Not because she's unique and special [she is], but because she is EXTRA. And it's so, so good. She's one of the strongest people I’ve had the pleasure of living life with. She’s wading through all the new information and diagnosis and medications and preparing herself as much as one possibly can. Frankenstein neck. Fewer body parts. New scars. Putting poison in your body to save your body.

Cancer is a emotional blow, a physical blow, a financial blow. It’s a long road, but we’re going to travel it together as much as we can. Ama’s family, friends, and the Apple Pi’s have set up a few ways to raise money to help cover the costs that her insurance doesn’t. We are Ama's Army.

Ama’s Army is our crowdfunding space to leave any money you’d like to contribute to support her.

We’re also setting up a cookie dough fundraiser with orders starting today.

Thank you so much for your prayers, thoughts, and positive energy toward our Ama.