Help Rodney Casto & Family Survive Cancer

I want to introduce you to the beautiful family in the photo for this GoFundme, the Casto family, aka Casto Clan. From left to right: Rodney (head man of the house), Maisie (youngest daughter), Mallory (eldest daughter), and Amy (the heart of the family). If you have had the pleasure of meeting anyone in this family, you will know that they are fun, quirky, kind, but also servants of the Lord.

Rodney has been fighting cancer (multiple myeloma) since 2016. He recently retired from working with a compassionate and amazing business, Bell County Glass Company, Inc., who supported his family despite his diagnosis for many years. Rodney has enormous internal strength, continued perseverance, and achieved remission after the initial diagnosis. However, given the chronic nature of this cancer and the difficulty in maintaining low cancer levels, it has recently come back more aggressively, and treatment options are limited to clinical trials. Rodney has been hospitalized for 6 weeks due to the progression and is regaining strength to get into clinicals. They are waiting for disability to become approved and the Medicare health care that will come 2 years after that approval. In the meantime, Amy has secured health insurance for the entire family through the marketplace, costing more than their mortgage. While supporting her husband, who is currently hospitalized, Amy is doing everything possible to maintain a sense of stability and trying to maintain the home while awaiting Rodney’s return to their family. They have forgone nonessential expenses and cut back in efforts to try to keep their healthcare covered and family supported. Despite her continuing to work while supporting him through his fight, they could use help in offsetting the high healthcare and medical bills.

This family has continuously given of themselves, not only locally but internationally. They unselfishly make the world a better place in so many different ways. The Casto family has adopted a child in Bolivia, volunteered at the homeless shelter, the pet shelters, and participates in “Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful.” They have filled shoeboxes with gifts for those who would not have Christmas otherwise and always provides necessities (food, clothes, etc.) to people and families in need by taking the items to their homes. Amy has also taken a Missionary trip in Honduras, helping many small communities abroad, and volunteered for many years at the Hope Pregnancy Center to help women in crisis pregnancies.

I have known Amy for 38 years, and this family is my family. If you can find it in your heart to donate, the Casto Clan will be so deeply grateful, as will I. The donation will be used immediately to pay the medical bills, health insurance, and support the family's essential needs. Please join me in supporting them in this uncertain and isolating time. “One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.” - Shannon L. Alder