In less than a month, the Havard family’s world has been turned upside down. Joe — a husband, father, and friend — was diagnosed with brain cancer, and life as they knew it changed overnight.

A note from Joe:

“I’m a proud Marine Corps veteran with two combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. For 10 years I’ve worked as Correctional Officer and Sergeant with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). My wife Lindsay and I have wonderful 3 year old twin boys.

Now I’m facing the toughest battle of my life — a diagnosis of terminal brain cancer, grade 4 astrocytoma.

While there’s a specific genetic marker in my tumor (called IDH-mutant) that offers some hope for better response to treatment, there is currently no cure. Doctors are focused on slowing it down and giving me as much quality time with my family as possible. I’m currently recovering from my craniotomy to remove the tumor.

The road ahead includes intensive treatments, countless doctor visits, and a lot of uncertainty for myself and fear for my family’s future - including financially. With almost certain permanent loss of income for myself and likely for my wife as needed also in caring for me, this has put a tremendous emotional and financial strain on us, and it’s more than we can handle alone.

How You Can Help

Your kind financial support will go directly to keeping our household afloat so we can focus on making memories as a family instead of stressing about bills and helping me secure a stable financial future for my family. The night my wife and I found out about the tumor, the ER doctor told her “People will want to help - let them. You can’t do this alone” and he was right. Thank you in advance, from the bottom of my heart. May God bless you all!”

- Joe Havard and family.