Family, Friends and all those kindly willing to help, 

In late January, my boyfriend Jesse was diagnosed with melanoma. Because it is one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, his oncology team acted fast and scheduled a surgery for the removal of the cancerous tumor on February 12th.  

As he went through the pre-op procedures, he was met with more unfortunate news.  Because there was suspicion the cancer had metastasized, the surgeon decided the lymph nodes from both armpits must be removed. This instantly caused more fear and concern, as this could potentially change the prognosis and course of recovery. 

Ultimately, the surgery was successful but extensive, and Jesse received the wonderful news that he is cancer free. However, the long road to recovery is much longer than anticipated. 

Many of you know Jesse's job is solely based on physical labor. Initially, we thought he would be out of work 3-4 weeks. However, with the addition of the lymph node dissection, and the extent of the melanoma, he was ordered to be out of work at least 4-6 additional weeks. Then, he will be released for light duty. Not only are his sutures still healing, his mobility is limited.

Jesse has been with his company for a little over a year. Sadly, that means he doesn’t have enough time accrued to help with the financial loss he will be impacted by with the amount of time his recovery requires. As a single father, he also takes on many side jobs for additional income, which will also be put on hold indefinitely. 

So I’m reaching out to you: our families, friends, and all those willing to help support Jesse through this difficult time. He is the father of two teenagers, one of whom he has full custody of.  He is actively working to connect with the different resources in our area, but as we all know, that is extremely limited. 

Any amount you’re willing to offer will go towards his mortgage, medical bills and any basic needs he and his son, Deus will have. 

I lost my father to leukemia when I was 18, and I remember the hardships and heartache that came along with a cancer diagnosis and the journey that followed. Please consider helping Jesse focus on his health and recovery. 

With much love and appreciation,

Jamie