
Help Brent Get the Home Care He Needs
Donation protected
Hello, my name is Anna and I'm fundraising on behalf of my dad, Brent. My dad has been chronically ill since he was about 6 or 7 years old, so I've never known life with a healthy dad, but lately we've come to a new bend in the road where he is no longer able to withstand surgery or really any invasive procedures of any kind. He has a lesion in his brain about 3-4cm long but the fluid around it is about the size of a tennis ball and we have no way of knowing what this lesion is (cancer or some kind of benign tumor) without performing surgery. The doctors won't move forward with anything like radiation without knowing whether it's cancer, so we were left with the options of surgery (they were calling it a biopsy but really they were going to try and remove the whole thing) or do nothing and take our chances with palliative care. We ultimately decided to go with palliative care but, after discussing our options with the insurance company, found out that perhaps the most important medication he's on - it's the main one that keeps him alive - won't be covered. Not receiving that medication at this time is not an option but my parents simply can't afford it without insurance, so instead they're opting for "palliative support" rather than the full palliative care. This means the benefits they were going to receive (such as a visiting care team 4x a week, a nurse who could manage his medication without having him see a doctor, and, the most expensive part, the equipment necessary to care for him at home) no longer apply. He will still have a visiting physical therapist, but on no regular schedule, and a visiting nurse 2x a week, but who cannot manage his medication without having him see a doctor. What he won't have is full access to the equipment he needs, such as a wheelchair, ramp, commode, and anything else that will make it possible for him to be cared for comfortably at home. We don't know the full extent of the equipment he will need yet, and we will likely be able to rent or purchase some less-than-okay equipment, but I'd really like to give my dad the best life possible for whatever time he has left and ease the burden on both my parents. Up to this point, we've done nothing but fight to keep him alive and - obviously - we've been successful! But now things have changed and, for the most part, he's done fighting. He's still determined to enjoy the life he has left, but no longer will he struggle and fight in desperation just to survive. Please help me in what might be my final (and biggest) gesture in showing just how much I care for him.
Co-organizers (2)
Anna Borchardt
Organizer
Milwaukee, WI
Sandra Raben
Beneficiary
Tyler Borchardt
Co-organizer