Mom Lakisha and seven of her children have been in New York for the past year seeking cancer treatment for 3 year old Carly. After months of staying in short term rentals near the hospital, the family could no longer afford both cancer treatment and housing and entered the shelter system. They have recently transitioned out of the shelter system and into an apartment of their own, and we are so excited to help them make it feel like home!

Lakisha and her family have suffered a lot of loss. In 2006, Lakisha lost her 12 year old daughter to cancer, and in 2018 lost her sister to cancer as well. In 2020, her toddler Carly was diagnosed with retinoblastoma cancer and one year later Lakisha suffered yet another loss when her oldest son died of an asthma attack at the age of 22. She planned his celebration of life while at the hospital with Carly. In May of last year, Lakisha moved the family from Jamaica to the United States to seek cancer treatment for Carly, but her husband has been unable to obtain a visa. It has been over a year since he has seen his children and he has not even had the opportunity to meet his newest daughter.

On top of tremendous emotional loss and the stress of ongoing cancer treatment, the family has also experienced a loss of home. We hope to help them make their new apartment in Queens, NY feel like a fresh start and a safe place to begin the healing process of everything they have been through.

Pen and Napkin is a 501c3 approved California Non-Profit design community that furnishes and decorates homes for families and individuals transitioning out of homelessness.

Carly's Family

By Pen & Napkin

Carly's Family

Help give this deserving family a beautiful and comfortable home as they seek cancer treatment for their 3 year old daughter, Carly