Help Me Rebuild and Fight Stage IV Cancer

Hello Friends and Family

For 19 years, I worked at Williams Sonoma, helping people find the right kitchen tools to create meals for their families. I loved my job, but in 2017, everything changed—I was diagnosed with stage II colorectal cancer.

Treatment started with radiation, followed by surgery to remove the tumor, and then chemotherapy. The chemo was rough, and by month four, I had to stop due to severe neuropathy in my hands and feet. As I was recovering, my father’s health declined, and my mother needed help caring for him. I added an extra hour each way to my daily commute to be there for them.

In 2020, I was hit with more bad news—the cancer had spread to my right lung. Having survived AIDS after being told in 1996 that I had only weeks to live, I knew I had to fight again. I started chemotherapy just as the COVID-19 pandemic began. When the treatment ended, the cancer grew again, leading to surgery to remove part of my lung and over a dozen lymph nodes. Soon after, my father passed away from COVID-19 in 2021, leaving me to care for my mother as she underwent major back surgery.

In 2022, the cancer returned to my right lung, requiring another round of radiation. I pushed through, but in 2024, another major setback came—the cancer was back in my colorectal area. This time, surgery meant removing my rectum and transplanting a muscle from my leg to rebuild my abdominal wall. The procedure and hospital stay left me with over $530,000 in medical bills.

By December 2024, while still healing from that surgery, I learned the cancer had spread to my brain, skull, left lung, and renal gland. Radiation was scheduled for January 2025, but just a week before it started, my mother and I lost our home in the Eaton fire. We had no choice but to move into a hotel with our dog while I continued daily nursing visits for my unhealed surgical wound and started brain radiation.

The treatments have been tough. My right hand is numb, forcing me to relearn how to use my left. I deal with constant headaches and exhaustion. Now, as I prepare for another round of chemotherapy, I’m also struggling to find stable housing. The hotel has been a temporary solution, but the stress is overwhelming. With mounting medical bills, the loss of everything in the fire, and the uncertainty ahead, I need help more than ever.

I have always been someone who helps others, but now I find myself needing support. Any contribution, no matter the size, will help me secure a place to live, continue my treatments, and begin rebuilding my life.

Thank you for your kindness and support—I truly appreciate it.

Peace,

Robert

Starting chemo on Tuesday 2/25. Positive thoughts!