Life hit the Drummond Clan with quite the blow this past February when Alan was diagnosed with stage IV oral cancer that had already metastasized to his lymph nodes. Seeing as that he initially went to doctor expecting to be told that he had a throat infection, we were floored. 

As every oncologist that we've met told us, the treatment for this type of cancer is incredibly painful and taxing - in their opinion, one of the worst, if not the worst. It involves chemotherapy mixed into daily radiation sessions that requires Alan's head and shoulders to be bolted down to the treatment table. The complications are intense: the radiation has broken down his oral tissue and salivary glands; he slowly has lost his ability to eat; and, swallowing even small amounts of saliva feels as if there are razor blades in his throat.  

Due to these complications Alan was hospitalized for a week during which time he decided to follow the advice of doctors and have a feeding tube surgically placed directly into his stomach. Alan now gets everything through his g-tube: water, liquid "food", and the countless meds he needs. Shockingly, our health insurance doesn't cover his food, as they state that it is "supplemental".

So, while our insurance is covering a good portion of the treatments, it is far from everything. That combined with the fact that Alan lost his job in January as a knock on effect from the US federal government shut down and I'm on Family Medical Leave, monetary support would help supplement what insurance doesn't cover. 

In advance, thank you so much.  Also, please know that we understand that many can't give monetarily, but just knowing that you're keeping Alan in your thoughts and sending good vibes helps and a lot.

Much love, 
The Drummonds