Help with funeral & daily expenses

Family and friends,

My brother, Larry, has been diagnosed with Stage III Esophageal Cancer. He has a tumor in his throat. It has been determined that all cancer is contained within the tumor and has not spread, at this time. He began Radiation and Chemotherapy on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. His treatments will consist of 5 weeks of Chemo once a week and 7 weeks of Radiation 5 days a week. Surgery is not an option due to the location of the tumor. I am creating this GoFundMe account to try and raise money to help support him, my sister-in-law, Tammy and my nephew, who still lives at home (age 15), both emotionally and financially, as they go thru this difficult journey. Larry also has two older children living outside the home.

It all started in September after it became much more difficult for him to eat anything of substance. Drinking liquids was his only option for any type of nourishment. He went to the ER and from there, has seen multiple doctors, had multiple diagnostic procedures and more doctor appointments to determine the course of treatment. Each of these occurrences have cost them substantial out of pocket money.

If you know our family, you have to know it has been a difficult decision to make in reference to asking for assistance. Pride gets in the way. However, Larry does not have insurance and the cost of the medical expenses are starting to weigh heavy on all our minds. So far, savings and credit cards have been used to pay hundreds of dollars (and sometimes, a few thousand dollars) at a time in order to meet requirements for consultations with doctors, medical procedures, etc.

Larry basically had to quit his job due to the daily doctor appointments and meetings/appointments to try and find some financial aid assistance, etc. He can’t file for unemployment because he will not be able to aggressively look for a job (which he actually has when he is able to return to work) and can’t file against his Social Security because he is not old enough (has to be 57 and he is 52). They are in the process of filling out paperwork to apply for disability but it could be months before any of that might be approved. During this time, Tammy has had to and will continue to have to miss work, as well. The goal of this fundraiser is to raise enough money to cover medical bills that have already accumulated and those to come, along with daily living expenses (as needed) so that all energy can be directed toward fighting this cancer.

We have faith Larry will be successful in fighting this battle and are thankful for any help you may be able to give. Our hope is that we will, one day, be able to pay it forward to someone else in need. We understand if you are not able to donate at this time but would ask for your positive thoughts and prayers for Larry and all his family.

May God bless you all!