Daniel's Courageous Battle

Our brother-in law, Daniel Cullum, is really a great guy. Daniel married one of our sisters (Annette Best Cullum) 11 years ago. He has been a loving, caring, consistent & stabilizing presence for her and her daughters since arriving on the scene. He considers Courtney & Bethany his own daughters. Alongside his consistent presence with family, Daniel has always had an admirable work-ethic and is a real "throwback" in terms of being amongst the first to arrive at work each day, dressed, prepped and laser-focused on the tasks at hand. We suppose this sense of duty and discipline chimed well with Daniel's service in the Coast Guard for 8 years....and those guys are heroic, if not rock-solid.

Recently, as life tends to do at times, Daniel & Annette have been dealt a substantial set-back. In December 2016, Daniel was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer of the liver and colon. As anyone knowing Daniel would expect, he has handled this news & ongoing uncertainty with his characteristic "John Wayne" matter-of-factness. The cancer, thus far, has been found to be treatable--which is a testament to both God's grace & Daniel's courage in facing this dreaded condition. Both Daniel & Annette have resisted seeking any help.....they are good & hard-working people.

As you would expect, rounds of chemotherapy have wreaked havoc on Daniel's body. Daniel was forced to take leave from his dispatching job at an area crane company, which he and Annette depended upon both for making ends meet along with the insurance benefits that the job offered. Not only has this been a critical blow to the household income, the additional expense of Cobra premiums to keep Daniel's insurance intact approaches nearly $1,000 monthly. This has left Annette as the sole income earner, and has placed quite a bit of stress on maintaining a household. Annette is a commission-only insurance consultant, and is dealing with critical health issues (diabetes and accompanying ailments) of her own. By the way, if you need assistance on health insurance issues...she can navigate you through the murky Obamacare exchange and regulations waters....reach out via Facebook.

As a family, hopefully those who know us well know that we believe strongly that God is good. Between prayers and vigilance over the past 6 months, The Lord has moved powerfully in the midst of this horrible circumstance. We are wanting both Daniel and Annette to be able to focus on Daniel's treatment & recovery; as opposed to the added stress & distraction of money worries.
There are more treatments, doctor's visits and surgeries in Daniels near future. We are looking to raise $25,000 for Daniel and Annette to help them through this difficult time.

We realize that this is asking a lot. Money dosen't grow on trees as we are all aware.....but we also know that we serve a Big God. Here is what we would ask for: prayerful consideration...
If you care to share any amount after praying it through, our family would be most appreciative. If you do not have the resources to share anything financially, we certainly understand given the times we live in. In ANY case, we would ask for your continued prayers and encouragement.

No matter the challenges ahead, we are believing upon miracles in terms of physical health, spiritual growth, increased courage, and financial circumstances.

Sincerely for our beloved brother-in-law & sister,

Family of Daniel & Annette Cullum