“I am very passionate about animals and helping others. I know how much my cat, Lila, has helped me throughout my cancer journey and that is something I want to help give to others.”

The Lila Hope Foundation is the vision of Emily Summers. Emily was diagnosed with stage IV gastric adenocarcinoma in January of 2021 at the age of 21. An animal-lover at heart, Emily decided to adopt a kitten in Feb. 2022. She named the kitten Lila Hope. Lila is a variation of the word lilac, which is a light shade of purple; the color of the gastric cancer ribbon. Hope was representative of Emily’s faith that she would find a way to beat her terminal cancer diagnosis. Lila brought so much love and playfulness into Emily’s heart during her darkest times.  Emily lost her battle with cancer on 8/12/2022 at the age of 23.  It was her dream to start The Lila Hope Foundation to assist the terminally ill care for their pets as needed. We are here to keep Emily’s vision alive and build her a lasting legacy of love and generosity.