Help our Dad beat cancer!

Thank you for visiting this Go Fund Me page for Wayne Gifford.

At 59 years old, our Dad is in the need of urgent medical care but as many hard-working Americans find themselves, he is without health insurance and financial support, despite having worked almost every day since he was 14.

We have started this page in the hope of raising as much support and awareness as possible, and to help fund his medical bills and to provide as much as possible that he needs to make it through this current situation.
 
Wayne’s Story

Following months of what he thought was sciatica pain, on Friday November 18th, in his home in South Carolina, his hip appeared to shatter, leaving him in immense pain. He was rushed to 3 different hospitals, landing finally in Charleston at the specialized hospital MUSC. The pain he had was due to a very large tumor caused by cancer which had created lesions in the bone, eating away at his hip until the entire socket disintegrated, leaving him in unimaginable pain.

Other than the pain, our father received a cancer diagnosis of primary bone sarcoma which has spread to the pelvis, hip and femur. He will need aggressive treatment to combat this, but it is not the only issue. On Thursday, he will undergo a complex surgery to amputate his left leg, hip socket, and pelvis to remove the tumor and try to rid him of the cancer. However, this means he will not be able to walk again or be eligible for prosthetics. Right now, the goal is to save his life.

Our dad has had to deal with a number of health issues in recent years, largely caused by a more than fair share of bad luck. Despite insisting on continuing to work he was finally forced to leave his job earlier this year after a second heart attack and the significant complications resulting from this. However, this meant losing insurance, one of the reasons my father dealt with this unbearable pain for so long.

Unfortunately, this means that on top of worrying about going through surgery, losing the ability to walk, and trying to beat cancer, he must also find a way to pay for cancer treatment and for continued care following this surgery. The aftercare is extremely important for his overall survival and he may require another surgery within the month. 

We have set a high goal, as he has already spent 2 weeks  in the hospital, will now require mobility equipment and will have a very long road ahead of surgeries, chemo/radiation, physical rehab and therapy, and he may require around the clock care or have an extended stay in a nursing facility for recovery. 

For those of you who know our dad, you’ll know that he is as good and kind a man as you could ever ask to meet. He is also the hardest working person you will ever find. He has given his life to his loved ones and his country, and he cares about nothing more than the happiness and wellbeing of his family, in particular his wife Anita, children Heather, Rachel, Henry, Jilda and Alex, and grandchildren Matison and Johnny. He has faced incredible obstacles throughout his life, but to be honest, I have never heard him complain once. He wants to fight this thing, and all we ask of you is to help him fight it.

We understand as a family all too well the strain of financial burden, so we also understand you may not have much to give. We only ask that if you aren’t in a position to give, that you please take the time to share his story. If you can give, any amount is a blessing for him and our family. All the money donated will go directly in a check towards medical care. 

From his children, wife, grandchildren, and all his loved ones, we thank you sincerely for taking the time to read his story and appreciate any help you can give.

Please help my father beat this thing.