By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Fort Hays State University student Holly Linenberger said her heart is broken.
Her sister Sophia, a junior at Thomas More-Prep Marian, has been battling cancer since 2019.
Sophia, 17, was diagnosed in January 2019 with a rare cancer, Ewing's sarcoma. She spent much of 2019 going back and forth to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City for treatment, including two surgeries to her spine.
Sophia was told she was in remission for her cancer, but the cancer appeared again in August 2020.
The family has been separated regularly as Sophia and her mother, Jenny, must travel frequently to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City for Sophia's treatments.
Sophia will have to continue her chemotherapy treatments until August.
Holly, who has continued to live at home during her studies at FHSU, said home was a refuge, a calm place for her, her dad and her mother and sister between Sophia's difficult treatments.
Holly spent a lot of time with her dad in the last few years, and their close family bonds have become even closer.
The family received more tragic news is February when Holly's and Sophia's father, Stan, 62, was also diagnosed with cancer — lymphoma.
Stan Linenberger is now facing seven months of his own difficult chemotherapy at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
"It just breaks my heart to hear that," Holly, speaking for the family, said. "It was so unexpected. ... When I first heard about his diagnosis, I was heartbroken, because I love him so much."
Holly said she is concerned for her mom, who now has to help care for both Sophia and Stan.
"My mom goes through so much too," Holly said. "She has to drive back and forth each week, which is four-hour drive, eight hours round trip. It's just hard, because there was always a comfort in seeing us, and now she has to worry about my dad too."
All those miles going back and forth to Kansas City has meant a lot of wear and tear on the family's van, which has started to have mechanical problems.
Holly has become increasingly concerned about her mom and Sophia, getting back and forth to KC for treatment safely.
Holly created a GoFundMe account for their family to help cover the cost of purchasing a newer vehicle, for overnight stays in KC when Sophia and her dad have to go for treatment, as well as bills and food.
"My family is my everything," she said. "That is why I wanted to do this for them."
She said she is unsure how how much her father, an EnerSys employee and the bread winner for the family, will be able to work during his treatment.
"It is so hard for me to watch my family go through this hard time," Holly said, "especially now, because I don't feel I can don anything to help. "
Holly said the community has been very supportive of her sister and their family during her illness, and hopes the community will continue to be supportive during her father's illness.
Any donation to the GoFundMe will be appreciated, she said.
Within two days, more than $5,000 had already been donated through the GoFundMe account.
"This has been really hard on me, but I have always been a very positive person," Holly said. "I think the best in things. With my sister's diagnosis, it originally broke my heart because we are like best friends. We do everything together. I have never really been away from her my whole life.
"To see my family split up with my mom and sister in Kansas City all of the time and my dad and I at home all of the time, it was hard not to be all together.
"With my dad's recent diagnosis, it broke my heart. He was someone who I spent time with and I had comfort spending time with him at home. I know how hard he works for our family."
Holly, who is a junior in interior design at FHSU, said she always has her family on her mind at school, which can be a distraction. However, she said she had fought to keep her grades up because she wants her family to be proud of her.
"I have always had them in my mind when I go to school. Thinking about them in class, wondering if they are going to get there, wondering if they are going to be OK, wondering how treatment is going," Holly said.
"I try to be as positive as I can. I know my whole family is in God's hands."
You can further show your support of the family using #sophiastrong and #stanstrong.