First and foremost, I want to thank God for providing me with the strength and guidance to navigate this journey. I founded The Dear Sister Project in honor of my beloved sister, Stacy McCarson, who passed away in December 2024 after a courageous battle with stage 3 breast cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2021. As the oldest sister, I’ve always felt a deep sense of responsibility to protect and lead. But when Stacy became ill, I found myself numb—overwhelmed and unsure of how to fight alongside her. I leaned into prayer and did everything I could to support her, even when I didn’t have all the answers. Every day, I wrestle with painful questions and lingering thoughts about what more I could have done. Grieving someone so full of life—someone who still had so much more to give—is a pain that words can’t fully express. It’s a different kind of sorrow, especially when I look into the eyes of my nieces and my child. Their loss, and mine, is profound and permanent. Yet through this grief, a new purpose was born. The Dear Sister Project is my way of honoring Stacy’s life, raising awareness, and keeping her spirit alive. It is a commitment to love, to support others walking this path, and to be a source of hope in the face of heartbreak. Stacy would want me to keep going—to keep being the big sister I’ve always been, but now an even stronger and more compassionate version.

 

Thank you for joining me in this mission. Together, we will turn pain into purpose and ensure Stacy’s light continues to shine.

 

With love and gratitude,

Tracy McCarson
 

​