Heather's Cancer Care Costs

Everyday I read about the impact of healthcare costs on strangers, and people who can't afford to get the care or medication they need.   As sad as those stories are, they never hit home, until recently.

This past summer, I was shocked to find out that my ex-wife, Heather, had been diagnosed with cervical cancer.  She has been having difficulty paying for her medical costs and living expenses - while not being able to get health insurance, now with a pre-existing condition.

While Heather and I have had our ups and downs, we have grown a blended family of three amazing children: Ruby and Logan (hers) and Pippa (mine).  When we met, Ruby and Pippa were 5, and Logan was 1; now Ruby and Pippa are 21, and Logan is 17.  

Heather and Ruby live together in Los Angeles, and Logan splits his time between Los Angeles and Chicago, where I live.   (Pippa is away in college.)

Despite our personal struggles, I quickly realized this is life and death, differences get pushed aside, and our children need their mother.    The financial pressures have been affecting her physical and mental health, and making it even more difficult to overcome this challenge.

Heather has been responding well to radiation treatments, but because of one lingering trouble area, she has recently started chemotherapy.   With the constant nausea and exhaustion, she's not currently able to work and support herself and Ruby.

I have been doing all I can to help with rent, groceries, medical care and prescriptions, but she still has a ways to go until she's back in full health.   The hope is to knock out the cancer with another 6-8 weeks of chemotherapy treatments, and then build back up her strength so she can start working again.

For any family or friends that could find it in their heart to help out Heather and the kids, I would be beyond grateful.  Any amount would go a long way to defraying costs, and get her back on her feet and self-sufficient.

Donations will be used to help pay rent to allow Heather and Ruby to keep their apartment, buy groceries, and cover out-of-pocket medical expenses and prescriptions.