Kingwell Family Cancer Relief Fund

The short version is my Dad, David Kingwell, has recently been diagnosed with bladder cancer and is currently unable to work. He is a hard-working and dedicated registered nurse working in home health care and up until recently had been taking care of recovering COVID patients. He has been an excellent caretaker of his patients and our family over the years and now he is in the one in need of care so he can focus on his fight to beat cancer. The pain from the tumors is overwhelming and makes it impossible for him to continue working until the cancer is addressed. We need assistance urgently to stay in our home and help cover his medical expenses until he can return to work caring for patients.

Here's the long version:

Hello, I'm Zachary Kingwell, and I'd like to tell you a bit about our current situation to help you understand why I'm setting up this fundraiser. We’re a family of four: me, my brother, and our parents. My Mom is disabled, my brother is just starting high school, and I’m planning to become a teacher but have postponed my education temporarily to help out at home in any way I can.

My Dad always wanted to help others and was a lifeguard before joining the military at age twenty-two. After completing his tour of duty he was honorably discharged and worked in the hospitality industry until the age of forty when he decided to pursue his dream of working in the medical profession. He started a pressure washing business on the weekends so he could dedicate himself to nursing school full-time. He’s been working as an RN for the past seventeen years.

At the beginning of the summer, Dad went to the ER with severe pain and after several appointments and procedures he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder that has invaded the muscle wall. Detailed pathology is still pending to determine if it has spread to any other areas. He has been unable to work since the beginning of July and has exhausted all of his vacation and sick leave. Just before his diagnosis, we were approved for a VA loan to purchase the home we have been renting for the past eight years. The owners have been kind enough to postpone the closing date until December but in order to complete the sale he has to return to full-time status. He must have treatment which includes removing his bladder and having a urostomy placed along with chemotherapy. The recovery time for the surgery could be up to six weeks but I know my Dad and he’ll try for four! He desperately wants to put this surgery behind him so he can return to doing the work he loves which is caring for others.

Even though my Dad is in a tremendous amount of pain he's never lost his sense of humor and is always trying to make everyone around him happy. He's helped countless people in his line of work. But no matter how many other people he helped, I'm certain of one thing; everything he's done since I was born has been for the sake of this family.

Any donations received will go towards paying for medical expenses and literally keeping a roof over our heads. Thank you for caring enough to take the time to read this, and if you choose to donate just know I can't even begin to express how thankful I am. My Dad has also asked me to let you know that he welcomes and appreciates your thoughts and prayers, too. :)