Ensure Comfort and Care for Lonnie's Last Days

Update on Lonnie:

The cancer has continued to grow into his spine and now the spinal cord is compressed in three different locations. This has left him almost completely paralyzed. Lonnie is unable to sit or stand- unable to use his limbs (other than some recent ability to raise his right forearm.) The doctors have placed him on hospice and given an estimate of only weeks left to live. However, they will not take him at a hospice facility until end of life, as they are not equipped to care for him while he is still conscious.

They’ve given the Kitchens two options: Sedate him fully at hospice so that he will be easier to care for by their limited staff - which means he wouldn't be able to communicate any longer and die faster. The second option is to pay out of pocket for home nursing care to assist Kristen and Kenzie in caring for him. They have decided the first option is not an option at all. He is still very much himself. He’s eating, talking, laughing, sharing stories and making precious last memories with his grand babies. We don’t want to take this away from him just because of the cost of keeping him alive.

Because of choosing the home care and nursing option, his care is more complicated as he needs assistance for all bodily functions- eating, drinking, bathing, going to the bathroom etc. He is completely bed bound. It takes a lot of people to move or turn his body. Kristen and Kenzie cannot take care of him by themselves. It's not physically possible, and Lonnie doesn't want Kristen’s last memories of him to be the ugly side of disease and death. In his words, “Kristen has had to be my nurse for many years. In the time we have left, I want her to get to be my wife again.”

This required private skilled nursing care is not covered by insurance and is very costly. Anything and everything given would be a deeply needed last blessing for Lonnie, Kristen and the rest of the family.