CINCINNATI — Katherine James and Gigi Moore met in 2022 when they joined the soccer team at Walnut Hills High School.
“I'd say our friendship, the extent of our friendship was just teammates,” said Moore.
That all changed when Moore was diagnosed with cancer in October 2023.
“The tumor that I have is actually a gastrinoma, it’s a malignant neuroendocrine tumor,” said Moore.
Moore’s tumor is caused by Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, a rare cancer mostly found in men over 50. Since her diagnosis, James has been right by her side.
WATCH: Gigi Moore tells us her story here
“When I got diagnosed, she just like kind of randomly showed up for me,” Moore said. “She was just there and, like, I was very surprised by it obviously, but I mean like that’s just the kind of person she is.”
James had joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) in honor of her great uncle who passed away from cancer.
This year, in honor of her friend, James put together Team Hope Hustlers, a group of over 50 students from 14 schools across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky to fundraise $75,000 in just seven weeks.
“We are focusing all of our money towards cancer research in honor of Gigi to help people find the treatment that they need,” James said.
The team will be raising money through restaurant fundraisers, letters, online donations and a benefit gala taking place March 8 at the Junior League of Cincinnati. To buy tickets you can click here.
All the money will go directly to LLS, with the hope of helping people like Moore get the treatments they need.
“I’m having surgery on Thursday, so yeah, I'm excited. They’re gonna remove the head of my pancreas because that’s where the main tumor is located,” said Moore.
Moore is currently recovering from her 14-hour surgery. In a few years, she will be eligible for a liver transplant.
Watch Live:
