Please help the Helper!

My husband and I have known Neal for over 30 years and my heart is compelled to share his story and ask you to help. Neil has been a helper in the community as a First Responder for over 35 years. He began at the age of 17 as a Firefighter and EMT, and at 21 became a New Jersey Paramedic. Neal was a Voorhees Fire Fighter for 20 years, met his wife Michelle in 1990, and they've been married for 31 years with two beautiful daughters Karen & Anna.

On 9/11/01 Neal responded to the call for help at Ground Zero of the World Trade Center terror attacks. Arriving by 12:30pm that same day, he immediately began working / searching the piles, and spent a grueling 10 days on site searching. He worked with the NJ Task Force One Urban Search and Rescue for 13 years and was deployed to New Orleans for hurricane Katrina.

The story of how we got here is long, but it all happened so very quickly. Decades as a First Responder had taken their toll on Neal's body with back pain becoming more and more severe. Recently, doctors discovered a mass on his spine requiring surgery. In November he had a successful spine surgery at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. However, that relief quickly turned to shock when testing of the mass reveled this was not the only tumor in Neal's body.

To his family's horror Neal was told he has multiple tumors and stage 4 renal cell carcinoma. His particular cancer is extremely rare, with his case being #16 of the rarest in the world due to how the tumors present. As I write this, my mind can't help but go to the thought- could this be connected to the time he spent at Ground Zero after 911? I suppose that will take quite a long time to determine.

In the meantime, Neal is heading full force into a fight for his life. His case was shared with multiple hospitals and a team of doctors are collaborating to work out a treatment plan. The remaining tumors in Neal's body are inoperable. The current goal is to first recover from surgery, begin rehab, find a way to stop tumor growth and prevent any more.

We all know Neal is stubborn, hardheaded, and so on. That's our Neal and we love him. He doesn't show everyone the Neal you see in the photo above. He's ridiculously stoic. He won't ask for help, he won't hint at needing help, and he won't show you the demons inside. His first question to the doctor was "Will I be able to go back to the street?". In other words, he thought of his family's needs first and the community he serves second. He thought of himself last... if at all. I'm still not sure.

Neal is still hospitalized and unable to work. The loss of income is quickly becoming a serious issue, his health insurance is limited, and Neal is already having difficulty procuring medical equipment. Most importantly of urgent need is a bariatric wheelchair. Neal has spent his entire career helping the community in New Jersey and other states impacted by disaster. Every day our community calls 911 and First Responders answer the call for help. Today, I am calling to ask you for help on Neal's behalf. Please answer the call. He needs to know the decades he gave to the community as a Fire Fighter / Paramedic responding to countless calls for help matter. HE matters.

Please donate any amount you can so Neal and his family can focus on fighting to save his life.