My wife and I have always been the ones to lend a helping hand. For 35 years, we worked hard—me at Shands Hospital and my wife at Mayo Jacksonville—doing our best to support those less fortunate whenever we could. But our world began to change in 2009, when I suffered a debilitating illness that ended my employment at Shands. Then, in 2022, I was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and had to undergo surgery to remove my left thyroid and some lymph nodes. Through it all, my wife kept working and kept us afloat.

Then, in 2024, my wife was stricken with kidney failure. She now requires regular dialysis treatments and, heartbreakingly, lost her job as well. The medical bills piled up, and we quickly went through our retirement savings. Now, we are left with thousands in debt and a mountain of uncertainty. We are both in our 60s, living on a fixed income, and facing tough decisions every day. My wife has recently been placed on the kidney transplant list, which brings even more medical requirements and expenses that stretch our limited budget further.

Asking for help is not easy for us. We have always tried to give rather than receive, but now we find ourselves in need. We are not seeking financial wealth—just a chance to get our lives back to some sense of normalcy. Any support, no matter the amount, would mean the world to us. Thank you for your kindness and generosity. God bless you.