I never thought I’d be writing one of these, but here I am.

For the past several years I’ve been fully self-employed, pouring everything into TinkerHouse. To make it work, I stopped taking a salary, betting instead on a couple of big projects we’ve been building toward. Our newest project, The Vault of Mini Things, has been a labor of love — but delays have pushed its release almost a year and a half behind schedule. The ripple effect has hit us hard. Our savings are gone, and while my wife’s salary has carried us, the last few months have been especially tough.

I’ve been hustling to find extra work on the side, but nothing has landed. And then, on Friday, August 15th, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

⸻

About the Diagnosis

Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the United States. It often starts with symptoms like frequent urination, urgency, or pain — things I’ve been battling since late 2024. Mine turned out to be a tumor in the bladder wall, what’s called a transitional cell carcinoma.

The next step for me is a surgery called TURBT (Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor), followed by intravesical chemotherapy (gemcitabine delivered directly into the bladder) to reduce the risk of recurrence. It’s not as simple as “cut it out and be done.” Bladder cancer has one of the highest recurrence rates of any cancer, which means years of surveillance with regular scopes, scans, and possible repeat treatments.

The good news: if it hasn’t invaded the muscle wall, survival rates are high. The hard part: the road is long, expensive, and uncertain.

⸻

Why I’m Asking for Help

We do have medical insurance, though it’s not great (ironic, since my wife works for the hospital). But the bigger issue is that as a self-employed person, I don’t get FMLA, sick pay, or a safety net. With savings gone, treatment ahead, and at least a 6-month runway before TinkerHouse projects start generating any real revenue, the math just doesn’t work.

I’ve always prided myself on grinding through and figuring things out — but right now, my family needs help.

This fund will help cover:

• Out-of-pocket medical costs (deductibles, co-pays, prescriptions)

• Living expenses while I recover and go through treatment

• Breathing room so I can continue pushing TinkerHouse forward without losing everything we’ve worked for

⸻

How You Can Help

I know everyone is stretched thin, so I don’t take this lightly. If you can contribute, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you can’t, sharing this with your network means just as much.

This is me casting a wide net: friends, family, and my professional network. I’m being brutally honest because there’s no other way forward. I’ve got a long road ahead — but with your help, my family and I can make it through this.

Thank you.

—Chris Marshall