If you know my dad, Donald, you know he has the biggest heart. My dad is the kind of person who makes a friend out of anyone he meets and would give his shirt off his back or his last penny to help someone in need. He always has a story to tell, and will keep you laughing and smiling the entire time you are in his presence. He's selfless, strong and has never asked for anything, preferring to go without, rather than being a burden on someone.

That is what makes this tough. Our dad was recently diagnosed with stage 2-3 cancer. While he has an amazing team of doctors who have high hopes for him to beat this, our dad and family are looking at long road ahead. The first step of dads recovery plan entails 5 days of treatment Monday - Friday, every week, for 5 weeks, just to start - making things significantly more straining on his heath as well as our ability to get him to treatment. The treatment center is in Hilo, Hawai'i - over 2 hours away from our family home.

My dad lives with my brother Josh on our family property, and Josh has been a tremendous support - but my brother is also a single dad, working two jobs, over an hour away from home, in the opposite direction of the treatment facility. My dad's sister, our Aunt Denise, is his other lifeline and has also sacrificed so much to support my dad and my brother throughout this entire process, taking the reigns on my dads treatment plan and keeping our heads above water - especially when things get a little too hard for us. That said, my dad has an amazing support team on island, while my other brother, Jeff and I both live on the mainland - together with the rest of our family, we are giving everything we can, but between limited vehicles, money and time, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to provide the support needed.

Dad would never ask for this type of support, and he was hesitant to allow us to create this GoFundMe page, but he understands the financial strain this is putting on our family. If you know my dad, I think you would agree that he deserves all the love and support the world can give him right now - he has spent his whole life helping and caring for others, and now it is time for life to return the favor.

We've set our goal to $7,500 to help cover the first phase of dad's treatment and anything left over will go to the next phase. This includes deductibles and copays, travel to and from the treatment center and/or lodging if we can afford it as the daily drive is physically unrealistic for him at his current health and will only become more straining. This will also help to cover unpaid time off of work between my bother Josh, my Aunt Denise and my self to come home and be able to drive him to his treatments and care for him while he undergoes this long and difficult process. Your donations will help cover nutritional meals for our dad, and to help take away some of the worry, and feeling of being a burden on the family - which we do not, and never will consider him to be a burden but this will ease the impact of his selflessness.

This is just the beginning of a long road to recovery, and any contribution - big or small - will make a real difference and allow my dad to focus on what matters the most - healing and getting better. If you are unable to contribute financially, we ask that you hold him in your prayers "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord "plans to give you hope and a future" - Jeremiah 29:11

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your love, your prayers and your support.

-Danielle, Josh, Denise & Jeff