Gene's Fight: Cancer Treatment Needed Now

For all of you that know Charles (Gene) Barrett, he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in February 2023. He went through months of chemotherapy to fight the cancer. After completing the chemotherapy, he was getting maintenance treatments with another chemotherapy drug. Unfortunately, he had a lot of side effects with this medication, and they had to discontinue that treatment.

His oncologist monitored the cancer by doing CT scans and lab work every three months. The tumors remained stable, and he continued to fight it all the way. In August 2024, he started to have difficulty walking without holding onto something; he had balance and vision issues. He went through physical therapy to try and help with his balance. His condition was not improving, and in October 2024, he saw his oncologist. His oncologist was very concerned with his condition and admitted him to the hospital. An MRI was ordered, and it revealed that the cancer had spread to his brain. The tumor was quite large, and he had to have surgery to remove the tumor as soon as possible. After the surgery, he had to go through radiation as well.

After the surgery, he has had vision problems with his left eye but otherwise was doing better. In early February, he had another MRI done on the brain, and it was discovered that he has another tumor in a different area of the brain. The tumor was small but needed to be treated. He was scheduled for a follow-up appointment with his oncologist in early March, but he was notified by his COBRA insurance that his insurance was ending at the end of February. He spoke with a representative from the insurance company who informed him that because he was on disability, he could extend his COBRA benefits. The requested information was sent to the insurance company, and they denied his request to extend his COBRA. He has appealed the decision twice and sent them a letter from his radiation oncologist regarding the urgency for Gene to get another MRI and radiation for this tumor. They again denied it. He has applied for Medicaid, and they also denied it. He appealed it because of the urgency, and they denied it again. He has looked at insurance through the marketplace, and the cost and coverage they offer are not affordable. The deductibles have to be paid upfront before the insurance would cover anything.

Gene is also on oxygen 24 hours a day, and he is having to pay that out of pocket along with his doctor's appointments and prescriptions. He is also paying a monthly payment to the hospital for deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses that his prior insurance didn't pay.

Gene is in a life and death situation right now. He has to have the tumor treated as soon as possible to prevent it from spreading any further. He has done everything he can to fight this horrible disease and is now in a helpless position because his insurance company refuses to extend his COBRA insurance. We are asking for help to pay some of his medical expenses so he can get the treatment that he needs to continue to fight this disease. Any help you can offer would help Gene so he can get the medical treatments he needs to stay alive.

Thank you!