3/8/2026 - Sunday night
It’s been exactly one month since Kari’s first brain surgery. I still feel a wave of emotions. It’s constant for me. I fight to keep it together. I look at Kari and that alone gives me so much strength! Her beautiful smile, positive attitude, and uplifting energy is so inspiring. ❤️
Over the last month, we have met some incredible people. Kari created such a bond with her medical team in Iowa City (truly miss them!). As one of her care nurses said - “Kari is a cup of sunshine”. We feel comforted by the medical teams at Mayo. We feel the love from new friends and strangers that have reached out!
Kari’s second day at Mayo last week was a very long day. Her medical team was amazing. They helped align some appointments for Kari that best fits her schedule.
As the weekend was arriving, Kari made plans to surprise Gavin. She pulled it off with the help of Gavin’s parents and Amanda! It was a weekend of hockey, fun, laughs, and lots of love with Gavin’s family, friends, and community. We are hours away from home, but there are so many people following Kari’s story. She had several people come up to her and say that they continue to pray for her. Kari felt everyone’s love and support and was uplifted by their prayers.
Kari is so grateful for her crew at Iowa State. She loved all of the videos and posts being shared during mug night last week. ❤️ I know Kari misses school, her friends, and college life. There was one assignment that Kari was working on at the end of January. It was to get to 500 connections on LinkedIn. If you would like to help Kari get to 500 connections, feel free to connect with her and share. ❤️
Kari’s LinkedIn:
The upcoming week will be a mix of some downtime for Kari, and then we are back at Mayo for a few days at the end of the week/weekend. If you would like to visit, please reach out.
Thank you to everyone reaching out with your support, sending/dropping off gifts and food, helping with Jack, and just checking on our family. ❤️❤️
Please continue to pray hard for Kari. Her treatment window is approaching in mid-March. We are appreciative by all of the love and support of so many.
Heavenly Father,
We come before You with grateful hearts. Thank You, Lord, for this normal and peaceful weekend with Kari. It has been a month since we first learned of her tumor, and moments like these remind us how precious each day is. After so many difficult weeks, it is such a blessing to see her smile again and to see her enjoy something fun. 🙏🙏
3/04/2026 - Kari update
In the blink of an eye, February is gone and March is here. The last month has been an absolute nightmare. But with that came the most incredible amount of love and support from our family, friends, community, and strangers.
Kari was a second year, double major, thriving college student. She has an army of friends, loves her sisterhood at Kappa, and was newly elected President of her sorority (she had tears of joy!). Two weeks into the 2026 spring semester, Kari went from experiencing headaches over the course of a week, to having an ER doctor tell her she had a large mass on her brain. She endured two brain surgeries and was in a hospital for 11 nights, 5 hours away from home. She has taken the last week and a half to rest, retrain her eyes (due to lost peripheral vision), spend some time with family and friends, and assess her next battle steps.
Kari’s diagnosis is an aggressive brain tumor. This was not the news we wanted to hear. We have been actively working with oncology and radiation therapy teams at the U of M and Mayo.
Kari is ready to begin the next chapter: The Fight
She is a fighter!!! I am so inspired by Kari’s strength and bravery. She feels lifted from all of the love and support and PRAYERS!! 🙏
Kari will be starting 6 weeks of radiation and chemo therapy this month at Mayo. We are waiting for approval on one type of radiation therapy. Sadly, it comes down to what option the insurance company will approve. We are praying. 🙏
Kari will have various appointments throughout the upcoming weeks from now until her treatments start at a date later this month. We couldn’t make this all work without the help of so many around us.
When Kari is home, she is always up for visitors. Feel free to reach out.
Please share stories of inspiration. We’ve started to make some additional connections with others that have also gone through this. ❤️
If you pray, please pray hard for Kari.
Kari feels everyone’s love and support!
Lord - We thank You for Kari— for her strength, her bravery, and her steady spirit in this season of unknowns. You have sustained her each day, and she continues to reflect courage and faith. When the path feels overwhelming, You remain her Rock. 🙏
2/24/2026 - Tuesday night
Kari’s sutures came out today. Twenty-one stitches in total. We had a slight delay with suture removal due to a concern with excess fluid at the top of her head. They ordered MRI. After that came back, they felt everything was fine, no leakage site, and this would just be a slow recovery. With the unplanned MRI, we missed one appointment (rescheduled to Wednesday). After that, we will have another set of appointments on Thursday at Mayo.
We truly appreciate the love and support and the prayers. Thank you for care packages and thinking of Jack as well. ❤️
Please continue to pray hard for Kari.
#KarisCrew
🙏🙏
2/20/2026 - Friday evening
Night one back home is in the books! Kari had her fur baby next to her, until she kicked him off the bed. She got too warm.🥰
Kari is having a good day today as we try to get back into a routine. The sun is shining beautifully and she is feeling good.
We appreciate all of the messages, calls, prayers, and support more than you know!
There is an army of people supporting Kari - we feel it!
After some more rest this weekend, we will have a busy week of appointments. We have family and friends in our corner making miracles happen! We were able to pull an appointment from March 2nd to February 26th! Time is crucial and this schedule change brought a tear to my eye! We needed this! 🙏❤️
Thank you to everyone for reaching out and checking in on Kari, and also checking on Jack. A few teachers at CPHS sent a care package for both Kari and Jack.❤️
We have had a few visitors here and there, and I feel she will be ready to see more people real soon!
Keep sending stories of inspiration!
Keep Praying!
Pray hard!
🙏🙏🙏
2/19/2026
2/16/2026 Monday Day
After a full day with the EVD line clamped, Kari had a quiet evening and night. She was a little anxious trying to fall asleep, but we prayed and she rested as best she could. The nurse got her at 3:45 am for her MRI. Around 6:15 am, the neuro doctor said they would remove the line. She was given some meds for the pain, line removed, and a stitch added. Kari has been very tired most of the day.
It’s a quiet day. Our second cousin is with us today. We are giving Kari the time she needs to rest. Hopefully the meds wear off this afternoon, and Kari can go on a walk and get a little sun.
Kari got three batches of deliveries today:
2 stacks of electronic letters
1 stack of mail
She also got some flowers from the nurses. Kari is so loved by the nurses.
Please keep sharing your stories, fun times, pictures, love, and prayers!!
I am so grateful to everyone reaching out, praying, and offering support! My heart is full.
Please also think about Jack - Kari’s younger brother. Kari would describe him as sweet, quiet, and witty.
❤️ Give him a hug, text, or call … ❤️
The kids been through a lot these last 4 years. Their Dad and Grandma are fiercely watching over Kari and Jack.
We are another day closer to going home. We have a big fight ahead of us! We all know Kari is a fighter! She is so brave, so strong, and so loved. She wants you to know she hears your prayers. Don’t stop!
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
2/15/2026 - Sunday day
Kari had a great afternoon, evening yesterday. Thank you to everyone who has been lifting her spirits and praying. If you have sent letters, there is no mail on the weekends . She received flowers and wonderful gifts yesterday.
Kari slept well. Today the neuro team made a decision to clamp her drain line. They will still continue to monitor the pressure in her head to ensure her brain can regulate the fluids on their own. MRI scheduled for 4 am Monday.
Based on those results, if everything looks good, they can remove the line. The plan will be to monitor and work towards a discharge plan.
Kari ate breakfast well this morning and has been feel good. Around noon she was ready to go for a walk. After being upright and grind ready, she felt tired, weak, faint. All of her vitals were good. She has been resting since then.
Once she feels able, she will go for a walk.
Please continue to pray.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Lord, give Kari courage when the days feel long. Give her peace when uncertainty tries to creep in. Remind her that this diagnosis does not define her — she is defined by Your love, Your promises, and the strength You have placed within her. She is strong. She is brave. She is deeply loved.
Wrap her in Your presence. Let her feel the prayers surrounding her. Lift her up when she feels weak. Carry her when she is tired. Place Your hedge of protection around her and guide every doctor, nurse, and caregiver with wisdom and compassion.
God, we are asking boldly — bring our sweet Kari home. Let each step forward be steady and sure. Let healing rise. Let hope grow. Let joy return.
We trust You. We believe You are working even now.
In Jesus’ powerful and precious name,
Amen.
🙏
2/14/2026 Saturday update from Lisa.
Kari had a quieter day yesterday. She would love to hear from you … prayers, fun memories, anything ❤️
Here is more info on sending letters to the Patient Letter Program:
https://uihc.org/send-letter-hospitalized-patient
I am so thankful and grateful for everyone’s continued prayers, love, and support. Everyone who knows Kari loves and adores her. So many of you have reached out and I appreciate it.
Kari and I are also thankful for the friends and family that have been able to visit and stay with us in Iowa City. ❤️
Kari has long road ahead.
Please pray!
Pray hard!
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Hour by Hour, Day by Day
#KariStrong
Friday, February 13, 2026 - Update from Lisa...
Kari is very tired today and needing some extra rest.
She had a busy day yesterday with lots of visitors. She continues to have a positive outlook on all of this and amazes her medical team with her progress. Kari slept well last night and ate a good breakfast this morning.
There was a little concern about the drain in her head this morning, but that was quickly resolved and it’s working properly. The color and amount of drainage is on course with her healing process.
The timeline and process for drain removal is yet to be determined but they are cautiously optimistic about taking the first step of this process on Monday.
As far as the official diagnosis and treatment plan goes, that is still a waiting game. This report may take 10-14 days to be completed. Once pathology presents this report, the neuro oncology team will collaborate on a plan of treatment going forward. The team here at U of I will also collaborate with teams in MN to ensure that everyone is on the same page when Kari makes it home to MN.
We are so incredibly grateful for all of your love and support for Kari and the entire family. It’s overwhelming to read all of your comments, cards, letters and messages. ❤️
In the meantime we take each day moment by moment and hour by hour.
Please pray for Kari and please don’t stop praying!!! 🙏🙏🙏
Feb 11, 2026 Update:
Post 2nd surgery / Morning neuro team Update:
Kari had a good night. She got lots of rest, aside from the vital checks every 2 hours. The neuro team said they got everything of the tumor that they could see.
Right now, she has a drain line from her head/wound site. This needs to remain for 5 days. The neuro team said “you're kind of stuck with us until then”
Plan is to move to another neuro floor today - discharged from ICU. The neuro team will still stop by every morning. They are disconnecting a few of her lines - giving her more freedom!
Kari is so amazing! She is high spirited, strong, positive, and just appreciative of everyone around her.
Lisa was away from her, down a hallway updating notes. She could hear a voice that sounded like Kari. Sure enough - she comes walking around the corner!!! It was so amazing! ❤️❤️
We are working on reading when we can. You all know Kari loves to read. It will take some time for retraining her brain - moving her eyes, moving her head. Feel free to send cards to give her something to read.
As you all can imagine, the 2nd brain surgery creates more costs, etc. Kari's family are so thankful for all of the generosity and rallying for Kari. Truly remarkable. Please keep spreading the word, messages, and prayers!!!🙏 🙏🙏
Love to all.
Lisa, Jack, CJ
Feb 9, 2026 Update:
Dear family and friends,
We are incredibly thankful for the outpouring of love, prayers, messages, and support you have shared with Kari and our family. Every note, text, and gesture has meant so much to us, and Kari feels surrounded by care even in the hardest moments.
About a week and a half ago, Kari began experiencing neck pain and headaches while she was in Ames, Iowa. Over the course of the week, her symptoms worsened. She began feeling nauseous and experienced vision concerns. Lisa and Kari went to urgent care in Ames, Iowa. They sent us to the ER in Ames to get a CT scan.. The scan revealed a lemon-sized mass on her brain.
Kari and Lisa self-transported (two hour drive) to the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City on Saturday. On Sunday, she underwent brain surgery to remove as much of the mass as possible. Following surgery, doctors confirmed that Kari has an aggressive high grade tumor. A second surgery is scheduled for Tuesday to remove more of the mass which will provide her care team with additional information and will inform Kari’s care plan moving forward.
Throughout this incredibly difficult and fast-moving journey, Kari has been surrounded by her family. We are by her side every step of the way supporting her, advocating for her, and ensuring she is never alone. Kari continues to show extraordinary strength and courage, and we are deeply grateful for the exceptional medical care she is receiving. Kari’s brave spirit and gentle strength continue to inspire all who know and love her.
Thank you for continuing to keep Kari in your thoughts and prayers and for the steady stream of encouragement and love. Please know how much your support means to Kari and to all of us. We will continue to share updates as we are able.
Kari is surrounded by faith and family. Lord, we trust you as the great Healer and ask You to restore health, strength, and bring peace.
With love and gratitude,
Lisa, CJ, Jack
