Kevin T Belt
Donation protected
I met and married my husband, Kevin Belt, a short five years ago. We met at a dance hall in St. Louis - I thought he was the best swing dancer on the floor and was having more fun than anyone else. Since our first dance that night, we have had a lot of fun.
Kevin loves and supports his family with intense devotion, a character trait that attracted me to him immediately and which I have long admired.
Kevin's devotion and caring is also evident in his life's work. He has worked for Kirkwood United Methodist Church for 26 years, maintaining the buildings and all equipment - from projectors and ice machines to the 9-ton air-conditioning unit, boilers for heat and the integrity of the bell tower - , maintaining the grounds, shoveling snow, ensuring the safety of stairs, floors, parking lots and sidewalks, painting the walls and pre-school furniture, maintaining everything from the playground to the fire-safety sprinkler systems.
What makes him stand out, though, is the genuine care and concern he feels for the members of the church. He truly wants everyone to have a pleasant experience, and has always taken great satisfaction from doing his part to bring that about. Those who know Kevin will tell you it is not unusual to see him drop what he is doing to help someone carry something or to walk someone to their car with an umbrella. It is not just a job to him; it's about the people. I remain amazed by him.
At only 58 years old, Kevin was recently diagnosed with lung cancer with lymph node involvement, and most troubling, a small brain abnormality that is most likely evidence of the disease in his brain and bloodstream. Despite the seriousness of the prognosis, he is most concerned with how all of this may affect others...me, his immediate family, dance friends and his extended KUMC church family.
We begin the journey with chemotherapy next week. Surgery and radiation therapy are now on hold, pending the effects of chemo and results of a more enhanced tumor MRI of the brain in about 6 weeks. Though Kevin is hopeful he will be able to continue working, both short-term and long-term, the potential side affects are concerning. Without his regular income, we will quickly fall behind on expenses such as mortgage and other monthly commitments, while the escalating bills for medical care will continue to mount.
I've never set up anything like this before, and wasn't sure what to establish as a fundraising goal. I wasn't aware that was a requirement for setting up an account. I have no idea how much medical debt we will incur, short-term or long-range. So I picked $100,000 and set that as the goal amount. Any donation of any amount will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you to my friends at work and my family and Kevin's for your care, patience and understanding as Kevin and I find our way through these difficult times. Thank you to the folks at KUMC and to everyone for the kind words. We are blessed.
Kevin loves and supports his family with intense devotion, a character trait that attracted me to him immediately and which I have long admired.
Kevin's devotion and caring is also evident in his life's work. He has worked for Kirkwood United Methodist Church for 26 years, maintaining the buildings and all equipment - from projectors and ice machines to the 9-ton air-conditioning unit, boilers for heat and the integrity of the bell tower - , maintaining the grounds, shoveling snow, ensuring the safety of stairs, floors, parking lots and sidewalks, painting the walls and pre-school furniture, maintaining everything from the playground to the fire-safety sprinkler systems.
What makes him stand out, though, is the genuine care and concern he feels for the members of the church. He truly wants everyone to have a pleasant experience, and has always taken great satisfaction from doing his part to bring that about. Those who know Kevin will tell you it is not unusual to see him drop what he is doing to help someone carry something or to walk someone to their car with an umbrella. It is not just a job to him; it's about the people. I remain amazed by him.
At only 58 years old, Kevin was recently diagnosed with lung cancer with lymph node involvement, and most troubling, a small brain abnormality that is most likely evidence of the disease in his brain and bloodstream. Despite the seriousness of the prognosis, he is most concerned with how all of this may affect others...me, his immediate family, dance friends and his extended KUMC church family.
We begin the journey with chemotherapy next week. Surgery and radiation therapy are now on hold, pending the effects of chemo and results of a more enhanced tumor MRI of the brain in about 6 weeks. Though Kevin is hopeful he will be able to continue working, both short-term and long-term, the potential side affects are concerning. Without his regular income, we will quickly fall behind on expenses such as mortgage and other monthly commitments, while the escalating bills for medical care will continue to mount.
I've never set up anything like this before, and wasn't sure what to establish as a fundraising goal. I wasn't aware that was a requirement for setting up an account. I have no idea how much medical debt we will incur, short-term or long-range. So I picked $100,000 and set that as the goal amount. Any donation of any amount will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you to my friends at work and my family and Kevin's for your care, patience and understanding as Kevin and I find our way through these difficult times. Thank you to the folks at KUMC and to everyone for the kind words. We are blessed.
Organizer
Lori Pratt
Organizer
Lemay, MO