Jerry's Chemotherapy Fund
Donation protected
For anyone who knows Jerry Clark, they know how he lights up a room. They know how great he makes others feel, even if it’s just from flashing his incredible smile. Anyone who knows Jerry knows of his great sense of humor and equally great kindness. Jerry will give you the shirt off his back if you’re cold. He loves to help people. He loves to make people laugh, and he loves to spread positivity. That’s just the type of person he is – a gift to the world. For just about twelve years now, he has been a gift in my life day after day. A wonderful and kind man, a true and loyal friend, a gentle soul – these are just some of the things about Jerry that I and so many others love about him so much. Not to mention, he is a fantastic photographer!
On March 25th, Jerry sat with a doctor and listened as he explained the procedure and the chemotherapy that would be necessary following the surgery. Cancer. That word will knock the wind out of a person. It wasn’t exactly what he imagined when he went to the ER two days prior for what he suspected was kidney stones. We sat in the car following the appointment and tried to wrap our heads around what just happened. The days since have been a whirlwind of hospitals and doctors and surgery and recovery, but the good news is the doctors have a treatment plan in line and this type of cancer has a 96% survival rate. Through all of this, Jerry has maintained his positive attitude and confidence that he is going to fight this disease until it is long gone from his body. The resilience I have seen him show so far along with his amazing confidence has me idolizing him for the true inspiration that he is. Nothing gets him down, and this will not get him down either.
Though Jerry has been incredibly positive and mature about this, I can see the stress building up. I can see the worry in his eyes when he reads through the bills that have already began to pile up. How does a couple of twenty-somethings with a pretty low income balance all of this on their own? Now, we are forced to find out.
Just days before Jerry’s chemotherapy was scheduled to begin (we have been blown away at the speed of everything up to this point), Jerry got a phone call from the hospital confirming his appointment for the following Monday. They informed him that his total due on Monday would be $1,000, so to please have that ready. $1,000? He was shocked. No one ever talked to him about how much chemo would cost, just that it was necessary to start ASAP before this cancer has a chance to spread to any other part of his body. Now he was being told that in order to start that necessary treatment, he would need to pay 100% of the cost on the first day ($1,000), and 50% of the cost on the following 4 days ($500 each day.) So, the first week of chemo is going to cost Jerry $3,000. That hit almost as hard as the diagnosis. This is going to apply for his second week of chemo as well, as Jerry is required to pay $6,600 out of pocket before insurance picks up 100%, and the cancer centers we have talked to all require payment up front to administer treatment.
So here we are. 28, trying to get ahead in life, trying to plan our future, and having to pause from all of it to fight to keep Jerry healthy – but we are grateful for this fighting chance. His cancer is not yet a huge threat, but sitting around while we try to figure out how to pay for treatment allows this disease to spread further and become life threatening. Financial services at the hospital says we do not qualify for assistance, and we are still waiting to hear back from social services regarding disability – something Jerry hoped he would NEVER have to ask for, especially at such a young age. We looked into assistance with living expenses or even food stamps to free up some of our own money to pay for treatment, and we have been denied again and again.
With how amazing and upbeat Jerry has been, I thought I would put this Go-Fund-Me together to try and ease his stress so he can focus on healing. Asking for help in this manner has never been a strong point of either one of us, but I have to let my guard down and try to reach out. Maybe if we reach out to all of the amazing people we know – the incredible family we have and the wonderful friends we have – maybe if everyone bands together and chips in just a little bit, we can get Jerry the money he needs to start treatment on April 27th. If you can spare the donations and/or positive vibes, it would be appreciated tremendously.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thanks in advance for any help or prayers you can provide for this amazing young man.
Krista
On March 25th, Jerry sat with a doctor and listened as he explained the procedure and the chemotherapy that would be necessary following the surgery. Cancer. That word will knock the wind out of a person. It wasn’t exactly what he imagined when he went to the ER two days prior for what he suspected was kidney stones. We sat in the car following the appointment and tried to wrap our heads around what just happened. The days since have been a whirlwind of hospitals and doctors and surgery and recovery, but the good news is the doctors have a treatment plan in line and this type of cancer has a 96% survival rate. Through all of this, Jerry has maintained his positive attitude and confidence that he is going to fight this disease until it is long gone from his body. The resilience I have seen him show so far along with his amazing confidence has me idolizing him for the true inspiration that he is. Nothing gets him down, and this will not get him down either.
Though Jerry has been incredibly positive and mature about this, I can see the stress building up. I can see the worry in his eyes when he reads through the bills that have already began to pile up. How does a couple of twenty-somethings with a pretty low income balance all of this on their own? Now, we are forced to find out.
Just days before Jerry’s chemotherapy was scheduled to begin (we have been blown away at the speed of everything up to this point), Jerry got a phone call from the hospital confirming his appointment for the following Monday. They informed him that his total due on Monday would be $1,000, so to please have that ready. $1,000? He was shocked. No one ever talked to him about how much chemo would cost, just that it was necessary to start ASAP before this cancer has a chance to spread to any other part of his body. Now he was being told that in order to start that necessary treatment, he would need to pay 100% of the cost on the first day ($1,000), and 50% of the cost on the following 4 days ($500 each day.) So, the first week of chemo is going to cost Jerry $3,000. That hit almost as hard as the diagnosis. This is going to apply for his second week of chemo as well, as Jerry is required to pay $6,600 out of pocket before insurance picks up 100%, and the cancer centers we have talked to all require payment up front to administer treatment.
So here we are. 28, trying to get ahead in life, trying to plan our future, and having to pause from all of it to fight to keep Jerry healthy – but we are grateful for this fighting chance. His cancer is not yet a huge threat, but sitting around while we try to figure out how to pay for treatment allows this disease to spread further and become life threatening. Financial services at the hospital says we do not qualify for assistance, and we are still waiting to hear back from social services regarding disability – something Jerry hoped he would NEVER have to ask for, especially at such a young age. We looked into assistance with living expenses or even food stamps to free up some of our own money to pay for treatment, and we have been denied again and again.
With how amazing and upbeat Jerry has been, I thought I would put this Go-Fund-Me together to try and ease his stress so he can focus on healing. Asking for help in this manner has never been a strong point of either one of us, but I have to let my guard down and try to reach out. Maybe if we reach out to all of the amazing people we know – the incredible family we have and the wonderful friends we have – maybe if everyone bands together and chips in just a little bit, we can get Jerry the money he needs to start treatment on April 27th. If you can spare the donations and/or positive vibes, it would be appreciated tremendously.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thanks in advance for any help or prayers you can provide for this amazing young man.
Krista
Organizer
Krista Krushinski
Organizer
Cheltenham Township, PA
