Title: Urgent: Helping Walter’s Mom (Kelly) Start Her Cancer Treatment in Scottsdale

Story:

Dear Friends, Family, and Walter’s Worldwide Community,

For years, we have opened our hearts and our home to share the joy, antics, and unconditional love of Walter the Wonder Donkey. From the moment he came into our lives as an 18-pound orphaned burro from Oatman, our goal has always been simple: to bring a smile to your face and a little bit of light to the world.

Today, we are reaching out because our family is facing our own steepest mountain, and we have to ask for your help. This is incredibly hard for us to do. If you have followed us over the years, you know we have never once asked our followers for anything. We know how many people out there are struggling, and we never wanted to rely on your charity. But advanced cancer care has brought us to a point where we simply cannot do this alone.

For the past year, we have been living in Colorado Springs while my beautiful wife, Kelly, undergoes intense treatment for clear cell carcinoma. She has bravely fought through three rounds of treatment already, most recently utilizing the immunotherapy combination of Opdivo and Yervoy. Because of this grueling battle, we have been completely unable to work, which has entirely emptied our reserves.

We have found the exact specialized facility Kelly needs to be at, and it is located in Scottsdale, Arizona. Because her case is urgent, they have given us an opportunity to start treatment there as soon as 2 to 3 weeks from now, and we are planning to move there in the very near future.

One of the greatest benefits of returning to Arizona is that we will finally be able to be home with Walter and our family. The simple comfort of being home, surrounded by those we love, will bring an immense amount of joy and release a massive amount of stress from both Kelly and me as we tackle this next hurdle.

However, we are facing an immediate and overwhelming financial roadblock. Our health insurance does not cover any of the type of treatment Kelly is receiving.

Because there is zero insurance coverage, the very first treatment requires an upfront cost of $8,000 to $10,000 before she can even step through the door. Over time, the medical treatment path alone will range between $100,000 and $150,000 out of pocket. On top of that staggering medical bill, we are facing massive ancillary costs—including relocation expenses to Scottsdale, travel, and daily survival needs while we are unable to work.

When Walter was rejected at just eight hours old, it took around-the-clock love, bottle feedings, and a village of support to pull him through. Now, we are asking that same village to stand by Kelly so we can get her to Scottsdale, get her back home where she belongs, and get this life-saving treatment started.

We do not expect anyone to carry this heavy burden alone. If a fraction of Walter’s amazing community chose to donate just the cost of a cup of coffee—$5 or $10—we could easily cover this urgent upfront hurdle in days and ensure Kelly doesn't miss this critical window.

If you are unable to donate, please do not worry. Your prayers and words of encouragement mean everything to us. We will keep you updated on Kelly's progress and our move back home to Arizona.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for standing with us in the toughest fight of our lives.

With love, humility, and gratitude,

Brad, Kelly, Walter, and the Blake Family