Community rallies around Mt. Washington diner owner during her cancer battle

A well-known owner of a Mt. Washington diner is fighting her toughest battle yet, but she's not doing it alone.

Tierney Francis said her mom Amy Rethage is a special kind of person, even while going through chemo with lymphoma in her brain.

"She doesn't want people worried about her, she wants the community, the family, the love to spread to everybody," Francis said. "She's the only person that I know that has gone out of their way to do so much for other people, like, there is no limit."

Rethage owns Eggs & Moore off Shiloh in Mount Washington, a place their family grew up, and where Rethage has made an impact since moving the business from Arlington to the neighborhood about three years ago.

"She'll walk around, she'll sweep outside, she'll sweep the sidewalks, and she's always been just such an active person in the community," said Tyler Steedley, Rethage's niece.

Rethage was diagnosed with what her doctors are calling incurable cancer just a few weeks ago, after experiencing some neurological symptoms.

"Her mobility was so affected that she thought she was having a stroke. Some kind man at Shop 'n Save called us because she's just known around here. He knew who she was," Francis said. 

Now as Rethage takes a step away from the diner, her family is stepping up and so are her neighbors, giving back through a donation jar, GoFundMe page and even a fundraiser at the bar Scarpaci's next week.

"It's a lot of emotion, a lot of different emotions between the pure happiness and amazing of our community and then you have the grief too," Steedley said.

Her family said they're all in awe of the outpouring of support. 

"My mom always does for everyone without being asked, so it is just so lovely to see everyone do for her without being asked," Francis said. 

They know they'll provide her with the motivation to keep fighting that much more.

"We don't have the words. Thank you all so much. It's just an overwhelming amount of support," Francis said.

The fundraiser at Scarpaci's at 307 Shiloh Street is on March 6 with a 50/50 drawing and Chinese auction baskets.