Justin's story:

My name is Justin.

I have been battling with various types of cancer since the age of 16. I was initially diagnosed with stage 3 lymphatic cancer. It was a nine-month battle that involved chemotherapy and radiation, but I ended up coming through on the other side.

Diagnosis 2 happened at 20. It was lymphatic again that they caught right away. The doctors were able to remove all the growths that they could find.

Diagnosis 3 happened when I was 25. It was probably one of the roughest battles I endured. It was lung cancer, and it took about a year and a half to battle. Chemotherapy and multiple hospitalizations were part of that treatment process.

At 27, I was diagnosed yet again with lymphatic cancer. This would be battle number 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 that all occurred between the ages of 27 and 33, which resulted in me having to do chemotherapy each time for 6-9 months.

And now, for the present. At the beginning of August 2025, I was diagnosed with stage 2 multiple myeloma. This is a cancer of the blood. While the treatment plan presents lots of optimism and hope, I have a long road ahead of me. I will be doing chemo for at least the next 9 months, commuting to the Mayo Clinic frequently for follow-up appointments, and whatever else might arise.

As you can imagine, all these treatments are not cheap! While I have managed, for the most part, to keep my head above water financially, I am asking for help due to increased medical copays/expenses, increased travel as I have to travel back and forth to the Mayo Clinic for my care, and help with the cost of living as my ability to work will be decreasing during the duration of my treatment. As we all know, paying medical bills is getting harder every day. While I am working two jobs (as best I can given the phyiscal toll the treatments take on my body) I am in a spot where my bills are overwhelming my finances. I can't tell you how meaningful your support would be to me!