Simply stated: My Family deserves so much more than I am able to provide at this time. I have always been the provider for my Family and a giver to all when able. Now, I am not able to do either. For me, this is a very unusual and painful situation to be in because it hurts not being able to be me and provide. It makes me feel like a failure, even though I cannot control what has happened to me medically/health wise. That is why I am doing something very difficult and outside my comfort zone; asking for help!

Just know that this is not easy for me to ask for help. I also was not going to start this gofundme myself because I was worried it would look bad for me to create a fundraiser for myself. Then I realized two things: 1) If I do not get help immediately, my Family and I will end up losing everything, including the roof over our heads! 2) Nobody knows my story nor could tell my story better than myself. So here we are now. I must do what I can to ensure my Family has a roof over their head, utilities and food.

2024 was a rough year for many, including my Family and I. Early last year I started having symptoms along the lines of some type of gastrointestinal problems. They progressively got worse as the year went on. However we had no health insurance on me and no money for doctor visits to get checked out. So I just hoped things would improve and/or go away. However, they worsened. I began missing work, having to leave work early and being stuck at home due to pain and the excessive need to stay near a restroom because of the uncontrollable "urges to go". This started the loss of income and financial struggles.

In August, my AMAZING Wife spent hours daily researching, calling, applying, etc and finally found us some health insurance we could get that would be helpful to find out what was going on and to start treating the issues. So my medical visits side of this journey started in mid September. I had several appointments, referrals, tests and procedures from then into late December. Ultimately, I was diagnosed with rectal cancer with a large tumor/mass inside my rectum that has been growing for many years, according to the GI Doctors. They also discovered an enlarged lymph node mass they believe is cancer just outside my rectum, still within my lower pelvic area.

Now we are into February 2025 and I have lost my job & my truck, our phones have been turned off, and more, due to this sickness. We are dangerously close to losing our home and have nowhere to go and no way of obtaining another place to live.

I have had so many doctor appointments in the last month that I cannot even count. I am now scheduled to start chemotherapy on Feb 25th. These treatments will last approx 4-5 months and then we move forward to combined treatments of chemo and radiation at the same time for approximately 2 months. At that time they will evaluate whether the masses have responded well enough and shrank enough to make me a good candidate for surgery to remove them all.

Long story short, I have been out of work since January 1st and the doctors have advised me I will most likely not be able to do a normal job or regular work for likely all of 2025. Not just because of the sickness itself, also due to the time commitment of all the treatments and recoveries. So my goal in asking for financial assistance in this fundraiser, it to raise at least 6-7 months of rent money to ensure my Family does not become homeless while going through everything fighting and kicking cancer's ass!!! I will be able to pick up small side gigs working for local residents and friends that should ensure I can make enough to cover home utilities plus fuel expenses for all my doctor visits trips to town.

So now that you know most of my current story in regards to cancer, I simply ask two things:

1) If you are able at all, please donate to help my Family and I while we fight this battle!! ANY amount is helpful.

2) SHARE SHARE SHARE! Whether you are able to donate financially or not, PLEASE SHARE my fundraiser with everyone, everywhere, regularly, hopefully saying a few nice words, to help spread the word and possibly reach others who also can help.

Regardless of how you are able to help or not, THANK YOU for learning more about my battle and journey! I would also appreciate everyone thinking POSITIVE for my Family and myself!! I know a huge part of beating this battle is POSITIVITY and emotional support from all! It is tough right now to keep my Wife and kiddos positive while they are seeing me struggle with the sickness, stress and finances. With help from YOU, I know I can keep my Family's mindsets much more positive as we all fight this battle!!

Again, THANK YOU ALL!!

David "APE" Howard