It comes in three's... and now cancer

Hello, my name is Keith Bomphray. My wife and I live in Regina SK, and I’m writing on my own behalf.

I’ve been a professional singer/guitarist entertainer off and on for many years, clubs ,bars, you name it. One of the many highlights was seeing a lot of the world entertaining on cruise ships. Sixteen years ago, I met the love of my life on a South Pacific cruise and we came back to Regina to retire.

To make ends meet, I started a small eavestrough cleaning and repair business, which by its nature, is seasonal. I also supplemented our income by performing, though the call for live music has all but disappeared.

For the last 5 years I have been plagued by ulcerative colitis. It cut my ability to work in half and made even little gigs like playing retirement homes impossible.

Unable to work full time from Colitis, We remortgaged our house as rates skyrocketed, so our payments grew by almost a $1000 more each month. We've taken in Air BnB tenants to help, but as we’re both in our 70’s, it can taxing.

Fortunately, after 5 years, we got the colitis under control, and I could return to work full time.

Then, in late fall, my little truck’s transmission and ball joints failed. As I had only just started back to work, we had to use a credit card to cover the repairs… $6400!

In December, our house boiler died. It wasn’t able to be repaired, and because it was an “emergency replacement”, it cost us $12,400!

This too went on the credit card and combined it’s $500 a month - which barely touches the principal.

Also in December, having felt no symptoms, it was discovered by routine blood work that I had aggressive Bladder Cancer.

After waiting for and wading through many tests, MRI, CT scan, Ultrasound, etc. a procedure was done to remove as much of the tumor as possible.

Standard procedure is removal of the bladder, but that would prevent me from ever working, and after the 5 years of colitis, I opted for Chemo instead.

After waiting for more tests, I’m scheduled to start rounds of Chemo on April 8th (just in time to go to back to work).

We’re hoping and praying that I’ll sail right through it and be out working and catching up on the debts.

But it’s Chemo… who knows!

Neither my wife nor I were ever blessed with children, and both of our families have gone, so there’s no one to turn to.

There is very little equity left in our home, and if it’s a worst-case scenario with the cancer, I don’t want my wife to be burdened by this new debt.

I've participated in and thrown benefits for others over the years and never thought I'd be in such a position myself.

I can only hope that I've stacked up a little Karma along the way.

Hoping you can spare any amount and please know that it would be more than appreciated,

W. Keith Bomphray