THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING ME FIGHT THIS CANCER

Hello friends. My name is Bruce Bartley. I was born on 7/24/1960.

I just got married to the love of my life, on 12/30/2022

As bad luck and timing would have it, I was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer on January 5th, 2023.

Honeymoon postponed indefinitely.

I am a father of 2, Grandfather of 8, and Great Grandfather of 1. I am 62 years old. This was a very big shock, since we were struggling to figure out how to make our monthly expenses since my wife makes very little from her Social Security and mine just got reduced. We made plans to sell almost everything we own to get a fresh start, and then this awful news hit us. I am currently unable to work, and my wife devotes all her time to taking care of me. We’re in desperate need here.

I had planned on reviving my career as a singer, even scheduled rehearsals and bookings. All of that had to go on hold. We now have no way to bring in money for even the essentials. (Food, utilities, gas, taxes, etc.). These are the immediate hardships that we are experiencing right now. Pancreatic cancer is very painful and debilitating, even in its early stages. We are waiting to meet with the Oncologist to see how far it has progressed. This is why we are asking GoFundMe for help. We really don’t know where to turn, since we have no relatives or friends that are in a position to help us financially.

We are very optimistic, but the pain is increasingly strong in its attack on my body, and I am not able to do much at all. This is the turning point for me and I am asking for help from you. I am usually very strong and stalwart when I get sick, but this is kicking my butt. I have to be honest; I am really afraid. I know I am asking a lot, from people I don’t even know, but helping out has been my own story for decades. Some history of my giving nature:

I have worked tirelessly since the beginning of my adulthood in caring for and helping people. There is a mental illness in my family, and I have had to become the cement that holds my family together, for quite some time. My youngest daughter is mentally challenged by a severe seizure disorder, and it has been nearly impossible for her to care for her 2 children over the years. I have taken over that role, but now that seems unreachable due to my condition. I am sharing the task with my siblings, to care for my mother who is severely disabled, she has now stage 4 dementia. in the past, I have also taken care of my grandmother for 15 years until her passing.

I have worked for over 25 years in caring for homeless Veterans in the “Stand Down” program. I have also worked with the homeless military in general for a long time. I worked as a teacher for the San Diego Special Olympics and taught special needs kids to ice skate. I volunteered in the San Diego school system to work with disabled children and helped organize and chaperone them on field trips.

But now, I am the one that needs help. I am fighting for my life so I may continue helping and caring for my wife, my kids, my grandchildren and my great-grandchild, as well as continuing the charitable work I have become so accustomed to, and to try and be as independent as I have always been when it comes to my betterment and my dedication to the betterment of others.

ANY donation will be gratefully accepted. Most of you don’t even know me. I hope that I have cast a realistic image of this situation by telling you my story and giving you as much background on me as possible.

I have set up my wife Freya Akcelik Bartley to be my beneficiary to help me pay my bills, get my medications and travel back and forth from SD to LA county for my Kemo therapy to start next week. I can not do my Kemo where I live with my wife due to transferring my health insurance to where I live, which will take months, in the meantime, we are starting my Kemo in San Diego.

Please help. Thank you so much in advance. Here is Bruce during his 1st Chemo and now he is done with the 2nd Chemo, 3rd is set for March 15, 2023. Bruce is working hard really hard to beat this cancer. Bruce has a good chance to beat it, he is still in the early stages....