Greg's Cancer Fund

Hello. My name is Greg Mondello. I am 67 years old and have been battling liver cancer and Hepatitis C since 2012. The type of tumor I have is a hepatoma and it is a side effect that was caused by the Hepatitis C. In 2013, I had a radio embollization procedure where they inserted radioactive beads directly into the tumor and embollized the blood vessels feeding the tumor, which caused it to shrink from 10cm to 6cm but that's really all they could do at that point. I was told if it would continue to shrink I could, at some time in the future, become a candidate for surgery to have it removed. It did continue to shrink until it stabilized at 4cm and all seemed to be going according to plan until August 24, 2014, when I started having severe pain in my left hip. It got so bad I couldn't get out of my chair and I had to be transported to the emergency room via ambulance. After running all the necessary tests and scans, it was determined I had a large tumor at the top of my femur, where it attaches to the hip joint, and the tumor had shattered the top of the femur. The surgeon described it as a pathological fracture. After surgery to remove the tumor and repair my femur by inserting a metal rod into the bone, from just below the hip joint to just above the knee joint, I underwent 2 weeks of therapy at the hospital and was released September 8, 2015. I then had more in depth scans done at an independent radiological facility which showed a tumor in my sternum and the remains of the tumor in my femur. The oncology clinic administered 10 radiotherapy treatments to my sternum followed by 10 more to my leg. At this point, the oncologist said the cancer was classified as stage 4, because it had spread. Now that it is stage 4, I am permanently ineligible for surgery to remove the main tumor from my liver. My current tratment includes bloodwork every 3 months and an MRI on my brain and a PET Scan of my body every 4-6 months to check for any spreading. Now the oncologist wants to start infusions to strengthen my bones, but before she can do that I have to get a dental checkup and possibly have some periodontic work done to insure that the bone structure in my mouth can tolerate the infusions. Unfortunately I cannot find a charity dentist to do the work 100% pro bono and that's the only option I have since the cancer treatment has gobbled up everything, and is still ongoing.  As you can tell, we have been putting a LOT of money into my endeavor for almost 3 years and I'm finally tapped out, moneywise.
   Here's a brief rundown of our financial status and why we are in this predicament. I was declared permanantly disabled in 2008 due to a severe heart condition and peripheral artery disease (PAD), am currently on Social Security, and have Medicare. I've tried repeatedly to find a job but my age, health restrictions and frequent time off needed for doctor appointments makes me rather undesireable as an employee. My wife and I reside in a very modest rent house located in a  43 year old neighborhood in Cedar Park, Texas and have had to greatly modify our entire lifestyle just to exist. She works for 7 Eleven and our joint income is just above what is considered to be poverty level, so food stamps and supplemental help from Medicare/Medicaid are not available to me. It takes all of my wife's salary and at least 1/2 of my Social Security, if not more, every month just to pay living expenses and a payment on our only car, which leaves very little to pay towards my medical needs. In the past 3 years I have exhausted all my resources, including maxxing out all my credit cards and selling any personal items of value, including my car, so I really need your help. No matter how small the amount, anything you can give will be helpful and greatly appreciated. Please SHARE this on Facebook, Twitter, email and any other social media you may use, to help me reach my goal. Thanks and God bless you for your generosity!