Help & Support for Joe

Let me begin by saying a personal "Thank-you" for taking time to visit this page. My name is Kim Ferris. The beautiful picture above is my life-long friend Norma & her beloved husband Joe. One month ago Joe was diagnosed with a large mass on his common bile duct. After numerous tests by doctor's at Albany Medical they were told Joe had a long road ahead of him. Joe first had a stent inserted to deal with jaundice. On November 30, Joe began chemotherapy. Joe will undergo 4-6 hours of chemo every 2 weeks for the next 3-4 months. Additionally, Joe will receive treatment at home through a pump (46 hrs. every two weeks). After 3-4 months of chemo, he will be scanned and it will be determined if surgery will be needed. Then he will begin radiation. Joe is self-employed with no medical insurance. He is unable to work & therefore is not receiving any income. His wife, Norma, who is employed as a special education teachers aide, carries the insurance for both of them through her job at a local school district. Due to travel, & the difficulty of Joe's upcoming battle, Norma has decided to take a leave of absence from her job to care for him to the best of her ability. Norma's leave will be unpaid and additionally she will need to pay her employer to continue to maintain their health insurance. As you can imagine, along with the overwhelming emotional challenges, the financial burden will be very heavy as well. For these reasons, I'm asking for prayerful support for my friends & financial help from those who can donate. Every penny donated will go directly towards Joe's care. If you are able to donate, it would be greatly appreciated. It will be a great help to Norma & Joe at this difficult time, and knowing that some of the financial burden is lessened for his wife will help Joe to be able to focus on the battle he is currently facing. We all will be most appreciative for anything you can do. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit this page & for reading about Joe & Norma's struggles. Thanks again from the bottom of my heart.