Hi, I'm Renee. Personally, I've done a lot of cool shit in my day, but one of the best things I have ever done is start dating David. He is my Otterpop, my silly little guy, my heart, and my home. We greet each other in the morning and tuck each other in at night. We go on LARP adventures and support each other through life's challenges.

Right now is no different.

Over the holidays, David experienced swelling in his throat and tongue, making it hard for him to swallow or speak. He can still do both, but with difficulty.

On January 10th, David was officially diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. While this is traditionally considered a skin cancer, it can also impact the tissue in the throat. The growth began on his left tonsil, wrapped around it, then extended into his tongue, throat, and nearby lymph nodes.

Right now, surgery to remove the cancerous tissue would result in removing half of David's tongue, so his care team at Kaiser is starting with chemo and radiation. If that doesn't get rid of the growths, surgery to remove the growths will be the next step. His current treatment will include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery for a chemo port and feeding tube, and physical and mental therapy for the toll the treatments will take. David has designated me as his primary caretaker for all of this.

Thankfully, our health insurance is good, with a reasonable out-of-pocket maximum that we'll easily exceed. The hard part is living expenses for David while he undergoes treatment. His chemo and radiation treatments will take place over four months, with recovery taking an additional two months. That's six months David will not be able to work or earn money. While there are assistance programs, there is no guarantee they will be approved.

The money for this GoFundMe will go directly toward making sure David can handle his personal expenses during this time, including rent, car and car insurance payments, student loans, phone bills, credit cards, and additional expenses in case the treatment plan changes. While our housemates and I are helping out as best we can, we are not in a place where we can fully support him alone.

David is determined to beat this. Help give him a fighting chance. Thank you for your time and consideration.