Original Voice Actress Behind Jessie, Misty in Pokemon Anime Battles Cancer

Rachael Lillis, who is most known for being the original English voice actress of Jessie, Misty, and Jigglypuff in the Pokemon anime, is currently battling cancer according to her sister.

Rachael Lillis Battles Cancer, Sister Sets Up GoFundMe Campaign

The devastating cancer news was brought to light by Lillis’s older sister, Laurie Orr, when she set up a GoFundMe campaign meant for her nursing home bills.

“Hello everyone. I’m trying to raise some funds for my sister Rachael Lillis who is currently in a nursing home facility in Los Angeles,” Orr captions the GoFundMe campaign.

Orr also revealed that Lillis has been in a nursing home since January and that she needs a caretaker as Lillis herself could not properly walk anymore due to the cancer spreading to her spine.

“She has been there since late January, but needs personal care at home, particularly a home care nurse. Someone who can cook some simple meals, help her daily, and give her medication. (Unfortunately, Rachael can barely walk due to cancer that has spread to her spine),” Orr reveals through the GoFundMe campaign page.

Pokemon Community Pours Over Support For Rachael Lillis

With Lillis’s cancer news quickly reaching every corner of the internet, the Pokemon community rallied to pour over support for the original Jessie and Misty voice actress in the Pokemon anime.

Ash’s original English dub voice actress Veronica Taylor also showed her support by posting the GoFundMe campaign on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“My dear friend Rachael is in need of your help. Her sister, Laurie, has started a GoFundMe for medical bills. Rachael has contributed so much to all of our lives. Any contribution you can make will help her get the care she needs,” Taylor posted on X.

In response to Taylor’s post, Pokemon content creator Mixeli replied to Taylor’s post and wished Lillis to “receive the assistance she requires.”

“I am retweeting this. A talented voice actor who brings many people joy. It’s unfortunate that it happened. My wish is for her to receive the assistance she requires,” Mixeli’s reply to Taylor’s post reads.

Successful GoFundMe Campaign for Jessie and Misty Voice Actress

The GoFundMe campaign itself for Rachael Lillis proved to be a success as it collected more than enough funds.

As of this article’s writing, the GoFundMe campaign for the voice actress behind Jessie and Misty has pooled $62,989, which is more than the original $20,000 goal.

Alongside the monetary donations, fans also sent Rachael Lillis some heartwarming messages. Here are some of those:

“Rachael’s voice was an integral part of my, and thousands of others’, childhood. I can’t thank her enough for the joy she brought into our lives, so my donation will have to do. I hope she’s able to make a speedy recovery,” said one donor.

“Thank you for making my childhood awesome,” said another donor.

“I just started reliving my childhood by watching Pokémon from the very beginning again alongside playing through Yellow. I’m grateful to have had such amazing voice actors like Rachael be a part of my cherished childhood. Hang in there!,” stated by a different donor.

“It was an early morning and I was 6 when I first watched Pokemon with my cousins (against my parents’ wishes). You opened my eyes to the world of anime and dream to becoming a voice actor. Prayers and healing!,” recalled another donor.

“Thank you for the astounding impact you had on all of our childhoods. Many of the best/funniest moments in Pokémon are thanks to your performance as Jessie and Misty. Wishing you all the best!!,” shared by another donor.

With the overwhelming amount of generosity and support from the community, Orr thanked everyone in behalf of Lillis.

“Again, wanted to express our sincere thanks for your kind comments & emails, and your generous donations! Thank you for your heartfelt support for Rachael! With Much LOVE! ”

Voicing Multiple Pokemon Characters and More

Rachael Lillis’s voice acting career spanned 22 years, starting with a dubbing role in the anime Takegami: Guardian of Darkness as the voice of the character Satsuki.

From there, she went on to have an illustrious voice acting career, landing roles in various franchises such as Pokemon, Berserk, Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, Hunter × Hunter, Winx Club, and more.

Besides being the voice behind Jessie, Misty, and Jigglypuff, she also voiced other Pokemon like Goldeen in multiple video game titles as well as other Nintendo characters such as Ms. Globular in the Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures video game.

For more articles you can read, visit ClutchPoints Gaming for the latest video game and esports news, reviews, and guides. You can also choose to subscribe to the ClutchPoints Gaming Newsletter to get updates delivered straight to your email.