A veteran down on his luck...

When my husband Josh was medically retired from the Army we knew we’d have some bumps in the road ahead of us but we looked forward to the new adventure. We moved to Idaho for the simple living and the laid back lifestyle. Life had other plans, however.

In February of 2018 our world was turned upside down. During the emergency removal of his appendix a civilian doctor discovered a mass that proved to be renal cell carcinoma. Stage 2 kidney cancer. In April, after he had healed from the appendectomy he underwent a partial nephrectomy. We were relieved and looking forward to him getting back on his feet. He didn’t.

Since his surgery, Josh has developed major life altering and life threatening complications. He is left unable to care for himself. He is 30 years old and needs to use a walker to get to the bathroom. Our family time is spent in bed next to Josh. This is the second time the VA has failed us. His cancer can be visibly seen on a MRI done the year before at the VA. But we were never informed. Now after 6 months of a diagnosis of heart failure, we still don't have answers or a plan.


Our goal is to raise enough money to relocate to Seattle. There we will have access to one of the nations most qualified Cardiologists. Right now we spend any “extra” money on gas driving one hour to the VA and one hour home almost daily with our toddlers in tow. With the Cardiologist, Seattle brings friends that could help care for our children so that they can maintain a sense of normalcy while their father is at unavoidable appointments or scary medical procedures.

I'd like to add , just for my own peace of mind, we are not lazy. We are not money hungry. What we are is at the end of our rope with no safety net. Everyone has their struggles and we truly understand. If you cannot donate , please share our story in hopes that someone else might be in the position to. We appreciate all the love , kindness and hope we’ve been shown from each and every one of you.


Kalie, Josh, Gabe, Alek and Ellie. ❤️