Ray Hodge's medical fund
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To all my friends, family, coworkers, and everyone on social media:
For those of you who don’t know me, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Eric Jewell, and I am a current federal government employee and an Iraq war veteran. Please let me take a moment of your time to read my story below, and help if you can.
The following story is about my father Ray Hodge's heartbreaking and unfortunate medical situation. Under normal circumstances, my dad wouldn’t ask anyone for anything, but I have encouraged him to let me share his story to help him during his darkest hour, and hopefully with your help, there is still a chance that there could be a happy ending.
My dad never had much in his life, but then again he never wanted much. He is a simple man that loves his family and the outdoors. He is currently employed at a company that designs and installs handicapped lifts that assist the physically impaired to enter and exit swimming pools. My dad is devoted to helping those in need, and that's exactly what he does on a daily basis.
Besides being dedicated to helping others, my father and stepmother are also raising my sister’s five-year-old son while my sister gets much-needed rehabilitation treatment.
Regardless of the situation, back in August of last year, my father had a heart attack, and he narrowly escaped with his life. After dying several times, the excellent staff of Jewish Hospital in Louisville Kentucky was able to stabilize him. Our entire family was on edge while we awaited news and further updates on his situation. However, as bad as it was, he escaped the situation without any further damage. They inserted some stents and after a little over a week, he was released and made a miraculous and speedy recovery.
All seemed well until his wife was diagnosed just one month later with throat cancer that required her to go through radiation and chemotherapy. So, at this point my father is recovering from a heart attack and he cannot work, and now his wife is going through treatment that is preventing her from working. Just when you thought that the story couldn't get any worse, the story takes a plunge into darkness with another grim diagnosis.
My father went to the doctor for a routine follow-up as is normal for anyone recovering from a heart attack. During his visit, he made some complaints about his voice still being hoarse from the insertion of breathing apparatus. The doctor found it to be a little strange that his voice still hadn't recovered and ordered some additional test, and one of those test was a chest x-ray. Keep in mind that he had just had several x-rays during his heart attack episode, but those tests were all done with a portable x-ray machine, and the pictures were taken while he was laying in the hospital bed. With those points in mind, the post heart attack x-rays revealed that he has a large mass in his left lung that was hidden behind his heart.
The doctors that performed the x-ray told him on the spot that the growth in his lungs equals cancer, but still other tests were needed. Plans were made, and my father got a breathing test, PET scan, and a biopsy.
The doctors made him wait until all of his tests were done for his results. However, as a show of compassion for the holidays, they afforded him the courtesy of reading him the result after Christmas and the New Year. After all test were completed, and the results came in my father who is just 50 years old was diagnosed with stage three lung cancer.
I asked if they could remove the lung since the cancer is only in his left lung, but that's not a possibility because he had asthma, emphysema, COPD, and his right lung isn't strong enough to sustain him. So, the plan is for him to start radiation and chemo on the 18th of January. The doctors reported that if the radiation and chemo rid his body of the cancerous mass and it doesn't come back, then he has a chance to see old age. However, 75% of people in his situation don’t make it see another five years, but there is a 25% chance that he will.
Right now, my step-mother is attempting to get social security disability, but that could take a long while, so she isn't working and therefore, she has no income. My dad is still working, but with his radiation and chemo about to start, he won't be working for much longer. When he can no longer work, then the money runs out! They are not in a situation where they have money set on the side for emergencies, but that doesn't change the fact that they have to maintain a roof over their heads, take care of their five-year-old grandson, and themselves.
Their medical situation has left them in a position that isn't financially manageable, but perhaps friends, family, coworkers, and social media can help by demonstrating that love, humanity, and compassion do still exist in our world.
There is strength in numbers, and I appreciate each and every one of you who helped share this story. The more people that read this story, the more people that may be inspired to help. I have also agreed to match donation up to $2,000, and I will give any extra that I can during this process.
God bless you for taking the time to read this story, and my father thanks each and every one of you from the bottom of his heart.
#fightforray
A concerned son,
Eric B. Jewell
To all my friends, family, coworkers, and everyone on social media:
For those of you who don’t know me, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Eric Jewell, and I am a current federal government employee and an Iraq war veteran. Please let me take a moment of your time to read my story below, and help if you can.
The following story is about my father Ray Hodge's heartbreaking and unfortunate medical situation. Under normal circumstances, my dad wouldn’t ask anyone for anything, but I have encouraged him to let me share his story to help him during his darkest hour, and hopefully with your help, there is still a chance that there could be a happy ending.
My dad never had much in his life, but then again he never wanted much. He is a simple man that loves his family and the outdoors. He is currently employed at a company that designs and installs handicapped lifts that assist the physically impaired to enter and exit swimming pools. My dad is devoted to helping those in need, and that's exactly what he does on a daily basis.
Besides being dedicated to helping others, my father and stepmother are also raising my sister’s five-year-old son while my sister gets much-needed rehabilitation treatment.
Regardless of the situation, back in August of last year, my father had a heart attack, and he narrowly escaped with his life. After dying several times, the excellent staff of Jewish Hospital in Louisville Kentucky was able to stabilize him. Our entire family was on edge while we awaited news and further updates on his situation. However, as bad as it was, he escaped the situation without any further damage. They inserted some stents and after a little over a week, he was released and made a miraculous and speedy recovery.
All seemed well until his wife was diagnosed just one month later with throat cancer that required her to go through radiation and chemotherapy. So, at this point my father is recovering from a heart attack and he cannot work, and now his wife is going through treatment that is preventing her from working. Just when you thought that the story couldn't get any worse, the story takes a plunge into darkness with another grim diagnosis.
My father went to the doctor for a routine follow-up as is normal for anyone recovering from a heart attack. During his visit, he made some complaints about his voice still being hoarse from the insertion of breathing apparatus. The doctor found it to be a little strange that his voice still hadn't recovered and ordered some additional test, and one of those test was a chest x-ray. Keep in mind that he had just had several x-rays during his heart attack episode, but those tests were all done with a portable x-ray machine, and the pictures were taken while he was laying in the hospital bed. With those points in mind, the post heart attack x-rays revealed that he has a large mass in his left lung that was hidden behind his heart.
The doctors that performed the x-ray told him on the spot that the growth in his lungs equals cancer, but still other tests were needed. Plans were made, and my father got a breathing test, PET scan, and a biopsy.
The doctors made him wait until all of his tests were done for his results. However, as a show of compassion for the holidays, they afforded him the courtesy of reading him the result after Christmas and the New Year. After all test were completed, and the results came in my father who is just 50 years old was diagnosed with stage three lung cancer.
I asked if they could remove the lung since the cancer is only in his left lung, but that's not a possibility because he had asthma, emphysema, COPD, and his right lung isn't strong enough to sustain him. So, the plan is for him to start radiation and chemo on the 18th of January. The doctors reported that if the radiation and chemo rid his body of the cancerous mass and it doesn't come back, then he has a chance to see old age. However, 75% of people in his situation don’t make it see another five years, but there is a 25% chance that he will.
Right now, my step-mother is attempting to get social security disability, but that could take a long while, so she isn't working and therefore, she has no income. My dad is still working, but with his radiation and chemo about to start, he won't be working for much longer. When he can no longer work, then the money runs out! They are not in a situation where they have money set on the side for emergencies, but that doesn't change the fact that they have to maintain a roof over their heads, take care of their five-year-old grandson, and themselves.
Their medical situation has left them in a position that isn't financially manageable, but perhaps friends, family, coworkers, and social media can help by demonstrating that love, humanity, and compassion do still exist in our world.
There is strength in numbers, and I appreciate each and every one of you who helped share this story. The more people that read this story, the more people that may be inspired to help. I have also agreed to match donation up to $2,000, and I will give any extra that I can during this process.
God bless you for taking the time to read this story, and my father thanks each and every one of you from the bottom of his heart.
#fightforray
A concerned son,
Eric B. Jewell
Organizer and beneficiary
Eric Bradley
Organizer
APO, US, AE
Shanda Hodge
Beneficiary