Erzsi Olsen, our Assistant Store Manager here at Warner’s, is just 23 years old, but she’s one of those “old souls” you sometimes meet – people whose wisdom and maturity belies their age. She’s hardworking, talented, and hysterically funny.
She’s also facing a battle that no one should have to contend with.
A few weeks ago, Erzsi was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. Her treatment plan is rigorous and expected to last at least 14 months. It requires 14 cycles of chemotherapy, plus a month-long proton radiation therapy at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.
This means a lot of travel back and forth for hospital appointments – including long in-patient stays. It also means mounting expenses.
Erzsi has a GoFundMe account, and I’d be incredibly grateful if you’d consider donating to it.
Contributions would help with the cost of lodging and travel between Flagstaff and Phoenix, daily living expenses, and items not covered by medical insurance. And unused funds would be donated to the Mayo Clinic to help other patients.
A Little More about Erzsi
Erzsi (it’s pronounced “air-zhee”) is originally from Hawaii and Oregon. The family moved a lot while she was growing up, which made her resilient and adaptable. She loves dancing and choreography – everything from tap to hip-hop. She was the valedictorian at her high school and came to Flagstaff to attend NAU.
Erzsi has always been a people-person who loves to help folks solve their problems, and I think that’s why I was so excited to have her join Warner’s. (Mind you, Erzsi turned me down when I first offered her the job. I knew she was a perfect fit for us, however, and called her the next day and asked her to reconsider. Thankfully, she did.)
From day one, Erzsi stood out. It usually takes new employees years to really get their footing at Warner’s, but she figured it out almost immediately. I started thinking about how she could grow with the company and what new roles she could take on in the future.
After Erzsi graduated from NAU and planned to move back to Oregon to be closer to her parents, I was ready to support her decision. But after talking with my son, Hayden, about how much I believed in her future here, he asked if I had told her that. I hadn’t – I didn’t want to interfere with her plans – but when I did share how much faith I had in her, she decided to stay.
I’m so happy she did — and, as it turns out, staying meant she could receive treatment at the Mayo Clinic.
Erzsi has a lot of emotional support beyond her work family here at Warner’s – her parents Kyle and Maria, and boyfriend Marcus and “fur baby,” Hapa the dog.
She’s ready to fight this disease with everything she’s got, and we’re asking our community to come together on her behalf so she can focus all her energy on getting well.
Please consider donating to Erzsi’s GoFundMe and sharing her story. Every contribution will help her journey through treatment and recovery – and gives her the same warmth and care that she has always shown to others.
Thank you,
Misti