Help JD and Sawyer Through Tough Times

From Sawyer and JDs friend Wes:

Hello, name is Wes Farrington and I am writing to you today in request of your generosity and kindness for two wonderful people, Sawyer and JD.

We are raising funds to help our dear friends, Sawyer and JD, make their bathroom accessible due to mobility restrictions that have significantly impacted their daily lives. The current bathroom setup is not suitable for JD's needs, and without an accessible space, basic tasks have become a struggle. The funds will go toward renovating their bathroom to ensure it’s fully accessible. The main modification that is planned is the widening of the doorway to allow wheelchair access. This change will greatly improve JD’s ability to independently access the bathroom. The contractor has a plan – Sawyer and JD just need the funds.

As many of you may know Sawyer has had to take time off from work the past couple of months to receive treatment for his Stage IV Non-Small Cell Adenocarcinoma. Sawyer is undergoing radiation and mutation therapy to treat. As with any cancer treatments the effect on the body is not specific to the cancerous tissue only. Sawyer’s treatments cause tremendous fatigue which make it difficult for him to help care for JD. Additionally, doctors have placed a lifting restriction on Sawyer to prevent any potential pathological fracture of the spine where his cancer has metastasized. This additional restriction makes it nearly impossible for Sawyer to assist with helping JD to get in and out of the bathroom.

I personally have witnessed the challenges these two are facing in this moment and they are significant enough to make anyone despair. Sawyer is working through a difficult diagnosis with a somewhat unknown prognosis. He is attempting to return to work so he can financially support the life he and JD have together. Meanwhile, JD is preparing for a once-already delayed total knee revision surgery scheduled at the moment for 11/20/2024. JD has had to delay prosthetic training with his new left leg prosthesis because of severe pain and discomfort in his right knee caused by loose joint prosthetics from his total knee replacement 10 years ago. These two have been hit with just about every hurdle and speed bump that could be placed in their way. Thankfully, Sawyer and JD have already built incredible resilience in their lives and while this resilience is being tested it is a guarantee that with the support of their friends they will come through.

Your donations will help to bridge the gap left by Sawyer’s short-term disability, JD’s Medicaid benefits.

Any donation, big or small, will make a meaningful difference and is deeply appreciated by both Sawyer and JD. Thank you for your kindness and support during this time!

From JD and Sawyer's friend, Linda

Let me tell you about Sawyer and JD!

I met Sawyer when we were both working at the local hospital's rehab unit. Sawyer impressed me as a dedicated patient advocate and knowledgeable PTA and later I asked him to come and work with me at Green Hills Retirement. When I left Green Hills we stayed in touch. I knew when he had divorced, and then later I learned he had moved in with JD, who I had met with my work within the community. I got to know JD better when I helped out when he returned home following his amputation and saw how they cared for, supported and clearly loved each other. I can’t say it enough: their care and concern and love for each other has been an inspiration.

And, so, it was an extreme honor to be invited to officiate at JD and Sawyer’s civil union in June, a joyful celebration of love despite hardship, of second love for both, a love with hope for a happy and long future together.

I accompanied JD and Sawyer to their doctor’s appointments in August, where they were told that a long future together was uncertain, that Sawyer had Stage 4 cancer of his lung with metastasis. I took notes at the appointment, expressed my sadness for them, practiced all my skills at being a “non-anxious presence” and the minute I left them went home and cried for hours. It seems so unfair for them to have found themselves, found each other, found love, found sobriety and then to be told it is not to be long term.

But, Sawyer is still so Sawyer-ish. When I went to their house to visit after the diagnosis it was after a fall where I had injured my back. Sawyer insisted on caring for me by using his massage skills to alleviate my discomfort. He loaned me a theracane to help with the pain, and offered another massage if I needed it. Do you get this? He’s just been told he has terminal cancer and he’s taking care of me! That’s Sawyer.

So I’m asking for your help for this amazing couple. JD continues to struggle with his amputation and as of yet doesn’t have a prosthesis that fits. Today he had a revision of his total knee replacement on the right knee. Their most pressing need is to widen the bathroom door so that a wheelchair will fit. There have been other increased costs: transportation to Des Moines for visits with JDs doctors, medical deductibles and co-pays, and time off from work for Sawyer’s treatment. They need a stair glide and radon mitigation, especially important with Sawyer's lung involvement.

The cost for all of this is about $15,000. I am asking on their behalf that you help us defray this cost by donating here. Thanks!