Hello, my name is Jonathan and I’m still trying to financially recover from Cancer Treatment. While my fundraising helped me get by while I was in treatment it didn’t quite cover all expenses I had at the time. I’m currently struggling to get my car payment caught up so that I’m not running 30 days behind. I already have been close to having my vehicle repossed got a letter and everything. I had two utility bills from my house I couldn’t get paid off. I found out I also need my first crown ever in my life which will cost me around $250.00 after insurance. It’s just a constant struggle to pay all my bills on time while trying to catch up. My depression and anxiety is all over the place. I didn’t realize how long energy wise it would take to recover or everything that Chemo affected. I still haven’t been told I’m totally Cancer free or in remission. I guess the assumption is they got everything. I think I technically ended up with Stage 3 Cancer since it was in my lymph nodes after my surgery. I will have to constantly have periodic scans and follow up appts with over a $5000 deductible to meet each year. Anything anybody is willing to give will help a lot. 

*** Original Story ***

Hello, my name is Jonathan, and I’m reaching out to you today because I’m facing a challenging situation. On 12/17/24, I was diagnosed with cancer after a routine colonoscopy. After a stressful few months of testing and procedures to determine the best treatment plan, I learned that I have Stage 2 Rectal Cancer. I was not a candidate for radiation therapy because of the risk of recurrence at my age. I had 6 rounds or 3 months of chemotherapy that I started on 3/17/25. It shrank my cancer.

I am now headed to surgery on 7/30/25 (was 7/16/25) to remove about half of my rectum and my sigmoid colon and surrounding tissue. My surgeon is going to try doing it laparoscopically although there is the chance I might have to be opened up. Also she will try and connect the two ends but if she feels I need more time for healing I might have to have an upper ostomy or lower ostomy depending how surgery goes. My healing will take 6 to 8 weeks and possible future surgeries if I have an ostomy to reverse it. Scary thing is I won’t know what happened until I wake up.

If you don’t already know me or my spouse, Justin, you may have seen us volunteering at Meow Cat Rescue WV Bingos over the years or at Tsubasacon every year since 2019 at the registration table. We are also both graduates of BridgeValley Community College (Kanawha Valley when I attended) and Marshall University. Justin has worked at the Charleston Target for six years now at the front of the store.

Over the past several years since Covid, I took care of my elderly father, Ed “Mr. Ed” Doak, before he suddenly passed last June. We have also been having to move from his home that was bought in December of '23 by the city of South Charleston to an apartment in St. Albans. We have to be out by 7/13/25. Dad had a reverse mortgage, so we didn't receive a large amount of money. Thankfully, we were able to pay off the mortgage and the family car. We all supported each other. On 4/27/25 Justin and I were rear ended. The other persons insurance company declared it a total loss. We had to get a new car and now I have a monthly payment that I am not use to. Also since we are moving from a house to and apartment I had to rent a storage unit which is another expense.

I already suffer from bulging discs, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and spondylosis (basically chronic low back pain) that I receive spinal injections to help relieve pain. I wasn't able to get a full-time job that I could do from home due to a lack of recent job experience, so I decided to pursue weight loss surgery a month before my diagnosis to help with the above back problems.

My future goal is to achieve remission and have weight loss surgery. I want to be able to get a full-time job, utilize my education, and pay it forward and give back to others.

As I move out of my house, had chemotherapy, and prepare for my surgery, my spouse and I have been unable to work our part-time job doing Spark Delivery due to the unpredictable timing of side effects of my treatment. Now that my preventative chemo ended we have been focusing on packing & moving out of my childhood home that ended up on us after my Dad passed. Unfortunately, we are struggling to keep up with everyday expenses. I am an only child, and we don't have any living parents to ask for help from. I am asking for your help to cover the cost of my treatment and essential living expenses during this difficult time.

The total funds raised will go toward:

Medical bills not covered by insurance.

Rent, car, storage unit, and utility bills.

Any other basic needs and personal expenses as I focus on getting better.

I understand times are tough for everyone, but if you’re able to contribute, it would mean the world to me. No donation is too small, and even sharing my campaign with your friends and family would mean the world to us.

I truly appreciate your support, whether it's through donations, thoughts, prayers, words of encouragement, or spreading the word. With your help, I can keep fighting this battle and stay focused on my treatment and healing without constantly worrying about how to pay for everything.

Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to read my story. We appreciate your kindness, love, generosity, and support during this time of need. Hopefully, I can overcome this battle and return to living a healthy and happy life soon.

With gratitude,

Jonathan & Justin Doak