Joey’s Lifesaving Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Where to begin...? I think one of the greatest challenges for me in life is to set aside my pride and ask for help when I truly and genuinely need it. 

This... is one of those times. 

The short story:
I need to raise the cost of my Gastric Sleeve surgery; A process Rachel and I started with jobs and healthcare that were eliminated in the midst of the Pandemic. How much? Initially, $5000 down then a remaining $12,000 that we can pay in installments over 5 years. $17,000 total. 


The longer, deeper, and more intimate story begins now:

This is no pitch or campaign for music. This is life and death for me. It’s taken me years to submit myself to the idea of Bariatric surgery to get my weight off. I desperately wanted to achieve my goals without leaning on surgery. Pridefully, I’ve wasted so much time. 

There hasn’t been a single day that I can remember as a human being where I wasn’t fully aware that I was most likely the largest person in any given room. When I was young it was around classmates, of course. They had ankles, ribs, collar bones, knee caps and jawlines. Things I could never find upon self examination. 

From a very young age I had already developed a complex relationship with food. There’s even a picture of me sneaking cheese out of the refrigerator as a young boy. #Busted. 

Then as I entered my teen years I had some personal traumas that sent my food habits into the stratosphere.  I was gaining at an insane rate and by freshman year of high school I was 292 lbs. I remember specifically because it was the heaviest I could be to be on the wrestling team. I never saw a match because there was no one to wrestle in my weight class. So let’s say I won them all...

Post high school, I set out doing what I loved and touring as a musician. Tour life is very tough on eating habits. Fast food, truck stops, potluck buffets provided by well-meaning church families. It was an amazing time in my life, but my body was growing still and I had no “Off Switch”. 

At my heaviest I was 420 lbs. An emotional eater burying the stresses of adulthood with take-out Chinese and Pizza Hut. I even had a Chinese delivery guy take notice I was moving by the “For Sale” sign in the yard. His words, “Oooooohhh we gonna missa you...” — At the time we laughed about it a lot. But in retrospect, it was a clear indicator my ADDICTION to food had reached its full potential. 

I’ve been blessed over the years to have dear friends come along side me to train me. They need recognition for their efforts. Bud & Melissa, Leo & Randy, Steve & Annette, Rachel, Reannon, Kristen, Ashley, Aloha & Alexis. They all passed on a wealth of knowledge but still I failed all of them and was unable to beat my addiction. They gave me their time and love free of charge, and I’ll always feel in debt to them. 

I’m 38 years old. 
I currently weigh 388 lbs. 
I have Type II Diabetes
High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol

Diabetes is wreaking havoc on my body and my hips, knees and feet are beginning to show signs of excessive pressure from the weight. 

And my poor heart... Guys, my heart is so tired. Both physically and emotionally. 

My dad only made it to 42. He didn’t get to meet my wife, he didn’t get to meet his grandchildren and my number one fear in life is missing all of that with my kids. It keeps me up every night; wondering if I will be awake in the morning after I finally doze off. I can’t bare the thought of entering my 40’s with this body. 

My wife Rachel has already lost one husband.  I don’t want to be her second. I don’t want to put her through that kind of loss again if I can help it.  I will also note here that I have Rachel’s full support in getting this surgery. She sees my struggle everyday. She sees how lethargic and run-down I have become. She sees my potential as a healthy human being and believes fully that getting the weight off will set off a chain of events so epic for my career and will help me find my joy again. I believe her 100%

I have seen several friends undergo Gastric Sleeve over the last 3 years and their results are nothing short of amazing! My friend, mentioned above, referred me to her surgeon Dr. Morales in St. Louis, MO. 

I have met with their nutritionist and weight counselor. I have already undergone a preliminary endoscopy to investigate if the sleeve will work for me, and I have a green light from the surgeon! 

Please hear my heart when I say this...

This surgery is going to set me on a path to have control over my weight for the first time in my life. This isn’t just for me. 

- This is for my wife.
- This is for my children.
- This is for my family who have spent years in worry.
- This is for friends who count on me when life gets tough.
- This is for those of you who love my music and want me to be around to make more music. 

This is for the many heroes out there who will benefit from our mission to battle PTSD and provide them lifesaving resources. 

The ripples of contributing to this surgery go beyond what I can even fathom because I am CERTAIN God is not finished with my body yet. I have work to do and love to share. 

Rachel and I had set aside money to move forward with the surgery, but when COVID 19 hit her position was eliminated and of course the whole touring & music industry came to a screeching halt. We had to utilize our savings to keep a roof over our heads after losing two incomes. 

Full disclosure, writing out this GoFundMe makes me feel embarrassed, ashamed and ultimately like a beggar. — But — I really need you guys. I know we’re all in tough times right now. And if a monetary contribution isn’t possible, don’t feel bad! Please just pray for us, and ask God to provide. I know He will. 

And if that day comes where you find yourself at a Brother Joe concert and my skinny butt is running all over the stage, you can tell your friends... “He wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for me, I helped save his life.” 

I’ll joyfully give the credit to God and to you for making it happen for us. 

In closing, I would like to ask that you envision in your mind with me a life post-surgery: 
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“It’s been 6 months and I’ve lost over 100 lbs. I’m now lighter than I was in freshman year of high school for the first time. My productivity is through the roof! Music is being made, our podcast is full steam ahead, our PTSD foundation has major events planned for 2021.

I’m pumped because I finally get to take my kids to a theme park and ride all the rides with them! I put my shoes on this morning like a normal human. 

I can sing a whole set on stage without getting winded. I can finally start my certifications to become a pilot! I’ve been dreaming of that since I was a small child...

MY WIFE could look at me today and worry less that I was going to die of a heart attack. I’ve been off my meds for 3 months. I’m no longer diabetic. I no longer have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I haven’t taken any Xanax in months. My panic attacks have gone away. I’m at peace. All of the ugly and painful inflamed skin patches on my body have cleared up.

I go to the gym almost everyday and I’m looking forward to killing another 80 lbs. over the next 6 months.”
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Thank you for reading my story if you made it down the the bottom. I love you from the bottom of my heart, and I wanna keep loving you for many many more years. 

With tears in my eyes I thank you in advance for your support on this GoFundMe Campaign: