Help Mark Keasler Fight His Health Battle

My name is James(Andy) Fox. A few days ago I received a letter from my dear friend and brother Mark Keasler. I have posted that letter here. After a long moment I started thinking " How can I help?"

I grew up on Key Biscayne. Mark and his family were such a big part of my development there.

Read Mark's letter. Join my effort.

Please donate whatever you can.

If you cannot donate, then please help spread the word. Share this with friends and family. Post it wherever it might help

Much Love to all my friends and family.

Thank you.

Marks letter:

Brother,

Hard to believe over thirty years have passed since Donna and I left Florida. We had worked hard to fix up the old 38 foot sailboat which I found by pure luck at an even luckier price. We cruised ‘Cool Runnings’ for over two years. The Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, and points south. A great adventure until economics forced us to steer back north towards Florida and real jobs again…

Luck struck again when we dropped anchor in Cat Island at a place called Fernandez Bay. There we met a couple who owned a small family style resort, the couple needed help at the resort and offered us work, this was a dream come true for us. Temporary jobs became permanent, the owners became like our family, they got us work permits.

As they say the rest is history.

Cool Runnings was damaged in a hurricane a couple of years later. Fate favoured us once more When a guy from England visiting the island bought the boat ‘as is’ for a fair price. We used the proceeds to began building a small house on the resort property, it took over two years to finish the house, but it’s ours.

We fell in love with Cat Island and it’s people. The pay was way less than stateside jobs but we weren’t in it for the money. We were right where we wanted to be and we were happy.

Perhaps my greatest joy was starting a swimming class for Cat Island kids. What began 28 years ago as an informal beach day for children of the resorts employees became The Barracuda Swim Team Cat Island. Well over fifty percent of kids in the Bahama Out Islands never learn to swim.. This is changing and we are proud to be part of it. The program went on to include snorkelling, free diving, boating and small craft sailing. The Barracudas have participated in can recycling, beach and mangrove cleanups, and even tagging green sea turtles for research. This is the first summer that Donna and I have not held classes due to my condition.

Dozens of Island kids have learned to swim in this program, enabling them to enjoy and appreciate their unique marine environment.

There are times when I miss cruising, and the freedom to just pull the anchor and split.. Older Bahamian sailors say “boi, you done swallowed de anchor.” True we are permanently moored, but in a perfect place.

I used to love sailing at night aboard Cool Runnings. Alone in the cockpit, Donna sleeping below. Infinite stars above deep blue-black ocean with no land in sight.

One fear loomed in the back recesses of my mind, a sudden wind gust, a faulty lifeline, rouge wave. I’m over board in the bottomless black water, the boat, my home, sails on steered by a fair weather, electric autopilot. My wife sleeps on below deck, not hearing my frantic cries for help. I’m alone treading bluewater ‘a frog on a bass pond’

Well Brother I’m on solid land now but the fear level is the same and this time it’s real. I told you about my recent problem with my back. What I thought was a slipped disc, or sciatica back in February turned out to be an infection. I have seen two Doctors in Nassau, had two MRI’s two X Rays plus three tips to Nassau. Significant stress on our meagre budget.

The doctors say I have an infection on the lower part of my spine, they tell me the abscess is the size of a lemon. The infectious disease specialist in Nassau assured me that sinister things would happen if left untreated. They recommended having a biopsy done in Florida.

I was referred to a large Clinic in Florida. The appointment was set for June 11, making it three weeks away. I can’t work except for light tasks.

After a week in Florida with airfare, hotel, and rental car, not to mention the clinic charges our merger budget is stressed.

Doctors in Florida concurred that I had an infection. The neurosurgeon said they would scrape out and debride the infection while performing a spinal fusion procedure. No biopsy. The doctor wanted to put me in the hospital that day.

Overwhelmed I went back to the financial offices where I had paid cash for the visit earlier that morning. After two hours they generated an estimate of 78,000 dollars to be paid before the treatment.

I have no insurance (cannot afford it anymore)

I am not eligible for Medicaid.

I have spent hours searching for financial help for medical treatment. I’m too old, not a resident or it takes weeks to be considered. I don’t have the funds, or the time for that matter. I’m ambulatory now but the pain is constant.

HELP! Please turn the boat around and throw me a life line

I know your not in a position to help monetarily, I don’t know who is. I do know that you and I have always shared everything, good or bad.

Love you Brother.

I do know plenty more Cat Island kids need to learn swimming. You never know when your going to end up in water over your head….

So there it is...

A beautiful soul needing help.

Thank you. James(Andy)