Hello!
My name is Cole Burkhardt! I am a podcaster, writer, dancer, and horror lover. Honestly, I've done so much in my life that it's hard to describe myself in just a few words. Unfortunately, two and a half years ago, I began to have some health issues. I had lost a noticeable amount of weight and found that I had to use the bathroom more and more frequently. For months, I visited multiple doctors who either had no idea what was wrong with me or claimed I was overreacting/stressed out and it was all in my head. It wasn't until I started showing visible bumps along my groin and experiencing debilitating pain whenever I peed that I was finally listened to. Even then, it took three different doctors and two specialists to find the two tumors growing along my urinary tract. Because of where the tumors were located (pressed up against my tract and my uterus), doctors were extremely hesitant to do any sort of surgery to remove them. So for a while, we just threw medications at the wall, hoping something would stick.
In June of 2025, one of my tumors burst and I had to undergo emergency surgery to have it drained and removed. There was a chance it had ruptured part of my urinary tract and other delicate bits down there. Thankfully, they were able to remove it, leaving me with just one tumor remaining. This one was not quite as ambitious as its sibling and remained about the same size for a while, but it was still impacting my daily life. Finally, in September 2025, we made the decision to remove the last tumor. As of today, I am completely tumor-free!
The medical expenses, specialists, and treatment costs are overwhelming and added up quicker than I expected, not to mention the amount of time I had to take off work to recover. Over half of my monthly income is going towards medical costs, and I’ve been falling further and further behind. Just $1200 would give me two months of support and let me expand my diet past beans and rice. Any support you can offer would help immensely, whether it’s a donation or simply sharing this fundraiser with friends and family or on social media. Thank you all for your help!