John and Beth's Cancer Battle

Hi! I'm Ann, the little big sis of John Youngblood. He and his amazing wife, Beth, have been battling Stage IV esophageal adenocarcinoma (cancer) since May 2017. I say "they" because Beth has shared every success and setback with him.

Let me back-up a bit. Beth has fought severe autoimmune conditions for almost a decade. The combination of COPD, Crohn's, pancolitis, interstitial lung disease, and rheumatoid arthritis has created an autoimmune mess. Beth is now oxygen dependent and has been out of work on disability around since 2018. Despite this - she has done everything she can to support John as he fights an unrelenting disease.

Since May 2017, when John was first diagnosed, they have been making regular trips to Houston for scans and treatment. In the last six years, John has endured:

And then, even though it didn't seem like it could, it got worse.

In October '22, John contracted COVID which led to Guillain-Barre'. John was unable to walk, much less drive to work. The situation was dire - leaving it untreated could lead to paralysis of the lungs. Beth was too ill to travel but I was able to get John to Houston. A three-day stay turned into two weeks as he underwent intensive IVIG treatments. Through physical and occupational therapy, John was able to regain partial mobility with crutches and other assistive devices. Eventually, he returned to work. The Guilain-Barre's exacerbated in February '23. After another 10-day hospital stay at M.D. Anderson, John and Beth are staying in a Houston hotel for an additional two weeks until the oncologists can determine a new treatment regime.

With the prospect of permanent physical disability due to the Guillain-Barre' as well as Beth's chronic auto-immune issues, they are in desperate need of a renovation of their downstairs powder room to a fully accessible bath. Ideally - they need to convert a room downstairs to a bedroom as well.

Those of you who know John and Beth know they are not ones to ask for help, but to give it. They are genuinely compassionate people who anticipate the needs of others and supply answers when it seems there are none. They are the rocks of their respective extended families.

Their journey over the last six years has been draining physically, emotionally, and financially. All the travel expenses are paid for out-of-pocket and are not reimbursed by insurance. Over the last six years, it is now over $100,000. (You read that right - that is also a conservative estimate and does not include co-pays and deductibles). John will be on disability for the near future, which will cut his income by almost half and further limit their ability to travel for treatment and to renovate.

John has never once complained about his fate, never once said feel sorry for me. When he called to ask for my help getting to Houston - it shook me in a way even the cancer diagnosis did not.

Of all the people who deserve a break in this world - it is my brother and Beth.

Every little bit helps, so please consider donating.