When I first met Fred, I was making my first trip to Ghana. Everything was so different there, and I felt very awkward and out of place. Fred, my husband's nephew, came to meet us at this out-of-the-way little airport in a rural village and brought with him this sense of peace, warmth, and kindness which was almost palpable and which totally turned my day around. This change was unfathomable to me, considering that I was still in the same hot and sticky airport I had been in before he got there. But that is Fred--he brings that quiet, gentle peace to every one of his relationships and interactions. Now, all of us have a chance to do something for him.

Fred is currently 36 years old. He is studying as well as working at Georgia State University while earning his PHD. In January, he started having severe abdominal pain, which led to an ER visit, which soon led to a cancer diagnosis--cancer of the bile ducts. Due to mismanagement from health care professionals, this cancer was allowed to grow quickly, and by the time he started chemo in March, his bile ducts were completely blocked, and the toxins from the chemo had nowhere to escape. Immediately after the first chemotherapy treatment, he became very sick and went to the ER, only to be told to put his affairs in order because he was going to die soon, and there was nothing more that could be done. However, his wife and family refused to accept that. They insisted on a second opinion, which was much more hopeful, and on the advice of that doctor, Fred has been recovering more every day and will soon be able to resume cancer treatments. Fred would now like to continue with medical practitioners who believe that he can get better and want to help him do so. However, these doctors are not covered by his insurance, and he will have to pay out of pocket for these costs as well as the many other costs associated with having a prolonged illness--including him losing his income for the time being.

We are hoping that we can raise enough money to help Fred continue fighting this cancer and live to see his little daughter grow up someday. Let's not let insurance and a faulty healthcare system take this father away from his family before his time. Everyone should have the right to keep fighting for their life. Please give what you can to help with Fred's healthcare needs.