Kevin's Last Wish

Hello world…

My name is Kevin Bales, and I’m asking for something that is very hard for me to ask. I’m asking for your help, and those of you that truly know me would know that I’d rather give up my last dollar to help someone in need than ask any of you for the same. I need to share my story with you so you can better understand our saga up to this point…here goes nothing.

It’s been one year.

In the fall of 2021, just a few months after turning 50 I was having some issues with pains in my stomach. I had gone to a few different doctors to get a better understanding of what was going on. I was prescribed some different meds that offered no relief and just caused me to end up in the ER time and again.

December 11, 2021, was the worst day of my life to this point. We had run several tests including an ultrasound, and our Doctor told Tanya and me that I had an aggressive inoperable form of Pancreatic Cancer, with a timeline of 6 to 16 months left. Needless to say, this was a diagnosis that was heartbreaking and left us with a huge mix of emotions from anger, numbness, and disbelief, but we believed we could beat this thing.

Immediately after the news of the cancer, I started chemotherapy treatments. Tanya stopped working in February of 2022 to concentrate on my healing and be my caregiver day in and day out ever since this started. Tanya has been the driving force for the journey and has made sure all things have been looked after, she is a true champion of our family, and I’m so proud of her and her strength.

In November 2022, our Oncologist in Vancouver determined that due to the tumor on my Pancreas increasing in size, I should be stopping my chemotherapy treatments. Our home Oncologist in Quesnel suggested another course of action and decided to keep my regimen of Chemotherapy the same.

Three weeks passed, and we did another round of CT scans that brought some sobering news. The cancer had followed a path to my other organs like my liver and stomach. Truly a disheartening piece of news. Our doctor had said my numbers had dropped significantly and he was stopping my course of chemo. The doctor was unsure of what time I had left, one week to one month.

Tanya again was my champion and suggested to our doctor that we up the dosage of chemo to the max and see what would happen. I had told the doctor I was feeling good and didn’t feel like I was dying, so the doctor agreed to give it a shot. I received my last dose of Chemo the next day. The following week was so hard, some days it takes all I have just to gather the words to have a conversation. Soon after chemo was stopped due to me becoming jaundiced.

Today was another difficult day, as the doctors informed us that they were stopping all lifesaving treatments and transitioning me to palliative care. Our oncologist was gracious in his assessment saying he was proud of me for fighting so hard, but all I could think of was my beautiful family. My wife Tanya, my son, and my three grandsons.

In the summer of 1988, I met the love of my life. Tanya and I have been together for 34 years. Just two young kids when we started dating and only a few years later we became the parents of a handsome baby boy, who now is a father and has given us 3 beautiful grandsons. Tanya is quite simply my rock. Supportive, loyal, and so caring, my life with her has truly been the best, better than I could ever have imagined it would be. Tanya has been a wonderful and caring wife, an amazing mother, and an even better grandmother.

I have always done my best to support my family. I like to consider myself a hardworking man. I have always dreamed of buying Tanya a house of our own, but am now worried about leaving her with the huge cost of funeral expenses and the debts that have piled up since I got sick. We have loved each other for almost 35 years, but I won’t be able to be there to support her anymore. I don’t want her to have to worry about money while she is grieving, so I’m going to ask for a helping hand. This is something that is very difficult for me to do but Tanya is more than worth it, so here I go. This is me being vulnerable for the very first time.

I am asking you all to help fulfill my last Christmas wish. I want to raise $100,000 to provide my wife with a financial mattress. Every spouse deserves a mattress and not just a cushion. I want her to be able to grieve without stressing, and I want to finally be able to provide her the home she deserves and dreams of.

Please consider donating to Tanya’s Go Fund Me, and if you could, please share our story, it would mean so much to me. It would provide me with peace and comfort in knowing that she had a soft place to land.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my story, and am so grateful for any support you can provide, no matter how big or small. I have asked Tanya to keep everyone updated on the fundraising efforts, and on my progress as we head into the last steps of my journey. Please know I’m so grateful for each and every one of you. I’m also blessed to have been able to share my life with the most amazing, beautiful, caring, and loving woman.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Healthy New Year.

Yours Truly,

Kevin Bales