Hi, we are Danielle and Brooke Cummings, Paul Cummings’ two daughters, and we are writing on behalf of our family.

In February, our dad was diagnosed with Stage IV prostate cancer. A bone scan in March revealed that the cancer has spread extensively, reaching 11 bones. His cancer also has a rare and particularly aggressive form, which makes treatment more complex.

He is now beginning an intensive treatment plan that includes hormone therapy—costly injections every six months and daily medication—along with chemotherapy every three weeks. While he is not currently in significant pain, these treatments will likely bring fatigue, nausea, and new physical challenges. The cancer is not considered curable, but the goal is to give him more time and preserve his quality of life for as long as possible.

Our parents are both on a fixed income. Our mom is currently on disability from years of labor-intensive work and will be transitioning into full retirement this year. The financial burden of treatment is significant, and their $7,000 deductible is enough to threaten the savings they’ve worked hard to rebuild.

Their savings situation matters—because it reflects who they are.

Over the years, they’ve opened their home to women escaping violent situations, taken in friends and entire families who had nowhere else to go, and made our house a safe place for anyone who needed it. Most recently, they gave significantly and sacrificially to help a friend leave an abusive marriage—draining much of what they had set aside.

That’s who our dad is.

He’s the kind of father who chooses gentleness and humor, even when life could have made him rough—a real-life sitcom dad. He loves old, charming movies, and epic soundtracks, and smoking meat in bulk. He spends his days tinkering with TVs and computers, and he’s been passionate about electric vehicles and renewable energy since long before these were common topics of conversation. He’s also been a thoughtful editor and cheerleader for us, his two writer daughters, to whom he’s passed on his deep love of books, ideas, and words.

Even now, in the middle of his diagnosis, he remains deeply positive—often talking first about how difficult this is for our mom, rather than himself.

We’re asking for help to cover the $7,000 insurance deductible so that our parents don’t have to drain what little savings they have rebuilt just to access the care he needs this year.

If you’re able to give, we are incredibly grateful. On a fixed income, every dollar matters. If not, sharing this page would mean just as much to us.

Thank you for helping us support our dad in this season—with dignity, care, and as much time together as possible.

With gratitude,

Brooke and Danielle Cummings