Jeff was diagnosed with agressive cancer in November/December 2019 and rushed into surgery and treatment in an effort to stop the cancer from spreading further into the bones, muscles, tissue, lymph nodes, glands, and blood. Jeff has been in doctor and surgeon care from that point forward as treatment continues. The immediate medical needs required Jeff to quickly enter complete hospital care. There was the option to live for a few more months with the cancers, or to quickly enter medical treatment and surgery. Jeff's decision was to live and fight cancer. Jeff was in a situation that required him to immediately break away from his place of work, his freelance jobs, and his art studio until his health improved and stabilized. This abruptly halted earnings, completely collapsed Jeff's financial reserve, and put several long term studio projects and works in progress on hold. Fortunately some support was offered by state insurance, medical insurance, and workers insurance to help with medical care and treatment, and basic living expenses. GoFundMe donations, anti fascist and anarchist solidarity contributions, and Franken Bar in Kreuzberg 036 also help with some of his expenses.
Four months of chemo therapy and several surgeries were performed in the first six months after diagnosis. In 2019- 2020 surgery, treatment, critical care , and monitoring took place at five different hospitals here in Berlin. The CoV pandemic was starting up here in Berlin at the same time Jeff was entering chemo therapy. Many of Jeff's chemo sessions ended up with a taxi ride home to sleep it off due to the adjustments made with hospital bed space in the early times of CoV-19.
At this time Jeff is in the situation of self care at home with some clerical help from a state assisted account managment team in Berlin. Blood monitoring and internal imaging are done every three weeks to monitor his condition. Jeff was sent to attend physical therapy and rehabilitation shortly after the main surgery in June 2020 but this was not possible in his condition at that time. Jeff was temporarily rated at 100% disabled and the plan was quickly changed. Jeff was advised to wait for physical therapy/rehabilitation treatment until Jeff has regained his strength, sense of balance, and other mobility problems associated with fatigue, nerve damage and muscle weakness from the surgery and chemo therapy. Jeff now includes Naturheilkunde (traditional folk-medicine) as part of his medical treatment. After the last surgery in July 2020 a six month health check was planned to happen in early 2021. More will be known after the results of the tests and new images. Jeff is living with terminal cancer.
Now everything is determined by the doctors and surgeons and specialists observing and evaluating changes in Jeff's present condition and the results of continued treatment.
Daily life chores, managing communication and process with Medical Insurance office, State Workers Insurance office, various hospitals, doctors, medical specialists, and debt collection agencies take most
of Jeff's time and energy. Doctors typically estimate one or two or three years of physical recovery time if there are no complications or new discoveries. Getting back on track will take some time.
All of Jeff's workplaces; Laidak Bar, MESSE Berlin- Charlottenberg, Event-Hands GmbH; were affected by the CoV-19 crisis here and have not re-opened. Local Freelance metalwork / shopwork is also not viable at this time with Jeff's low strength level and physical limitations. In Jeff's present condition EU work travel to the ongoing long term creative projects in the Balkans is neither safe or affordable at this time. Other works in progress from the studio are held in waiting at this time due to Jeff's unstable health condition, low strength level, and economic situation. The Berlin studio is in non-functional condition because it is being used for storing materials and supplies for the projects in the Balkans. Even with signs of progress and recovery this complicated daily situation creates a lot of stress, sadness, angst, and frustration in Jeff's life.
Any donation amount for future withdrawls will help with the process of restoration.
Kind regards- the Crew
Four months of chemo therapy and several surgeries were performed in the first six months after diagnosis. In 2019- 2020 surgery, treatment, critical care , and monitoring took place at five different hospitals here in Berlin. The CoV pandemic was starting up here in Berlin at the same time Jeff was entering chemo therapy. Many of Jeff's chemo sessions ended up with a taxi ride home to sleep it off due to the adjustments made with hospital bed space in the early times of CoV-19.
At this time Jeff is in the situation of self care at home with some clerical help from a state assisted account managment team in Berlin. Blood monitoring and internal imaging are done every three weeks to monitor his condition. Jeff was sent to attend physical therapy and rehabilitation shortly after the main surgery in June 2020 but this was not possible in his condition at that time. Jeff was temporarily rated at 100% disabled and the plan was quickly changed. Jeff was advised to wait for physical therapy/rehabilitation treatment until Jeff has regained his strength, sense of balance, and other mobility problems associated with fatigue, nerve damage and muscle weakness from the surgery and chemo therapy. Jeff now includes Naturheilkunde (traditional folk-medicine) as part of his medical treatment. After the last surgery in July 2020 a six month health check was planned to happen in early 2021. More will be known after the results of the tests and new images. Jeff is living with terminal cancer.
Now everything is determined by the doctors and surgeons and specialists observing and evaluating changes in Jeff's present condition and the results of continued treatment.
Daily life chores, managing communication and process with Medical Insurance office, State Workers Insurance office, various hospitals, doctors, medical specialists, and debt collection agencies take most
of Jeff's time and energy. Doctors typically estimate one or two or three years of physical recovery time if there are no complications or new discoveries. Getting back on track will take some time.
All of Jeff's workplaces; Laidak Bar, MESSE Berlin- Charlottenberg, Event-Hands GmbH; were affected by the CoV-19 crisis here and have not re-opened. Local Freelance metalwork / shopwork is also not viable at this time with Jeff's low strength level and physical limitations. In Jeff's present condition EU work travel to the ongoing long term creative projects in the Balkans is neither safe or affordable at this time. Other works in progress from the studio are held in waiting at this time due to Jeff's unstable health condition, low strength level, and economic situation. The Berlin studio is in non-functional condition because it is being used for storing materials and supplies for the projects in the Balkans. Even with signs of progress and recovery this complicated daily situation creates a lot of stress, sadness, angst, and frustration in Jeff's life.
Any donation amount for future withdrawls will help with the process of restoration.
Kind regards- the Crew
Organizer and beneficiary
Rafael Mansel
Beneficiary