Free Benny, a medical fund

I am creating this fund for Julien, one of my best friends and partner of the last 7 years. Julien was diagnosed with a brain tumor this past winter. The tumor is located at his brain stem causing it to be compressed. While these tumors (meningiomas- hopefully) are generally benign, because of its size and location it is imperative that it be removed before it causes any further damage. After speaking with a number of neurologists the surgery is scheduled for June 15th. Even with insurance the procedure alone will cost $7000 out of pocket. In addition Julien will need to be out of work for 4-6 weeks post surgery to recover. As you can imagine this is a huge expense. For those of you who know Julien you know he is a relatively private person reluctant to ask for help in this kind of situation. That is why I am doing it for him (he doesn't actually know I'm doing this). Julien has always been a compassionate person willing to help whenever able. His compassionate attitude extends to both his fellow humans and the environment at large. His latest ventures is expanding the value of composting (one of his passions) to the Frederick city area. I'm asking people to help out so he can get through this difficult time and continue to make a positive impact on people's lives as he has mine. Thank you so much!

Btw- We named his tumor Benny ( for benign). It's important to stay positive and keep a sense of humor in these tough