Dear friends, family, and generous strangers,

 

In April, my little brother was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer. He was in and out of hospital, in a huge amount of stomach pain, and he had lost 30 lbs. Coming only a month after his daughter Mia turned one, this news hit us all like a tractor trailer driver rounding a bend in the road and discovering that someone built a brick wall across the highway.

 

Since then, Charlton has gone through 8 rounds of chemo. He underwent a 6 hour surgical procedure to remove the giant tumor that was the source of all his pain, part of his colon, his appendix, gall bladder, and part of his omentum. His surgery was a success, and thank God he is now cancer free.

 

But he is not yet home and dry. To quote Douglas Adams, he could not even be said to be home and vigorously toweling himself off. He has a few weeks of intense recovery in hospital, and a lot of ongoing testing to monitor his status.

 

He will not be able to work for at least a year. And with an infant and invalid at home, his wife Katrina as primary caregiver will be unable to work, either. Even after government assistance, they will need $20,000 to make ends meet throughout the next year.

 

Please help. Any amount you can give - $1, $5, $10, $50 - every little bit helps. The stress of not knowing how they will keep themselves and their children sheltered, fed, and clothed while he recovers harms both of them.

 

Thank you.