Help Greg Fight Cancer

On the cusp of his 48th birthday, our friend and teammate Greg Bettinger was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. His cancer has spread, deemed inoperable, and he has begun urgent chemotherapy this week.

Unless you or someone you know has been diagnosed with a life threatening illness, it's hard to really grasp the whirlwind that immediately follows. In little more than a month, someone who felt perfectly healthy finds out that a tenacious disease has just dealt them a bad hand. No consideration is given for a life of good deeds, future plans, or the people who love you.

Greg has been a member of our tech and coworking community in Santa Cruz since 2012. Humble and a bit shy, Greg is a hard working teammate who never said no to a project, challenge, or request. Truly a team player and a brilliant programmer, Greg has been a key contributor to several cool projects, some just for fun. Greg has been consistently reliable and always willing to help someone out.

While we are staunchly supporting Greg in fighting a good fight, there are some things we simply have to face head on. This is going to be the biggest challenge of Greg's life, and for those around him. We want Greg and his family to be able to focus on his fight, and making the most of every day.

The financial impacts of this are obviously great. Beyond medical expenses, there is a loss of income, and the logistics of mobilizing family members to live with Greg and provide care. That's really the tip of the iceberg. While we don't expect this campaign to cover all of these expenses, we hope it will reduce some of the burden on Greg and his family. Maybe Greg will get a chance to check off a few items on his bucket list if he's well enough.

There are so many good causes asking for money these days, it's overwhelming. We all have our own daily financial struggles, and it is easy to put off a donation until later. I will offer this;

We all have the rest of our lives to make money, go out to dinner, have a weekend away. For Greg that window just became a lot smaller. The proceeds saved from having a night in can serve as a very meaningful gift to someone, who by all accounts, doesn't deserve the hand he was dealt.

On behalf of Greg, his family, his friends, and his community, thank you for your donation. For legal reasons, All donations are being directed to Greg's mother, Blanche Bettinger. Any amount is appreciated.