Hello, my name is Linda. I am trying to raise money for my brother Fred, who was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic liver and bone cancer (HCC) 2 years ago. He tried chemotherapy and radiation. The medications that were given during treatment caused him to have a very bad allergic reaction. So, he decided to stop receiving treatment. As time went by, the cancer spread to his spine, and he could not feel his legs. He went to numerous doctors for help until one decided to operate on him. They removed some of the cancer around his spine that was causing him not to feel his legs. It was a success. It's been about 8 months now. He can walk now and gets around with a walker. There are many days he has so much pain and numbness that he thinks he is losing his legs again. My brother is a very strong-minded person. Although he has cancer and pain, he refuses to give up. He likes to do things on his own. Before all this, he was a hardworking man. He worked all his life, made good money, took care of himself, and provided for his kids. He is a good man all around.

A couple of weeks ago, I woke up in the morning and went to check on him as I do just about every morning. I also do this throughout the night as well. This time, he didn't answer me. He was unresponsive. He had a blank stare with a limp body. I called 911. His saturation level was very low, and his blood pressure was very high. Our family was told that he wasn't going to make it through the night. We were all devastated. We were expecting the worst. Doctors said he was in septic shock. They had him hooked up to a breathing machine. Our family sat around him. Miraculously, he opened his eyes, started to look around, and spoke. He was alive. God wasn't ready for him yet.

Before this trip to the hospital, he was seeing his regular doctors. He never wanted his doctors to tell him how much the cancer had spread. He was just trying to enjoy life, spending time with his daughter, whom he loves very much, and visiting his long-time companion of 20 or more years. Every Saturday, he would drive 1 hour to see her. He loves going to the store and is determined not to let this cancer get the best of him. He is always helping others, even if he is in pain. He is good at showing he is strong, even if he is at home in pain.

Anyway, he was sent home from the hospital on hospice. Before this, he always said he was not ready. He had no other choice. They sent him home on 6 liters of oxygen. At night, his saturation levels drop, and during the day, he feels stuck. The tanks that he can haul around only last for a couple of hours and are heavy. He likes to go outside and does not like to be bed-bound. He is determined and won't give up. He scares me sometimes because he tries to get off the oxygen himself. He wants to go visit his girlfriend and misses their time together. She, too, is disabled, and it's hard for her to drive to see him. He also wants to go places with his daughter, like going out to Denny's, their favorite place to eat, and doing other things he likes before God takes him. He has a lot of things he wants to do before anything happens. He's a good man, like I said, and just wants to build memories for his family.

Like I said before, he was a very hardworking man and made good money. Now he is on SSDI and doesn't make that much. After paying his rent and bills, he doesn't have very much left. I am asking if anybody was touched by his story to please, out of the kindness of your heart, donate so we can buy him a portable oxygen concentrator. It would have to be one that has a long charge and would be set on 6 or more liters. Thank you, and God bless you all.