- D
- R
- V
Hi folks,
My name is Kerri Schneider. Mark, my husband, and I live in a fairly rural area in southern Ohio, and just love it here. We are happily married and will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in October. He has been such a good man to me. Loving, faithful, and hard-working. Our song is "Only You" by The Platters. It was sung at our wedding. Mark can't even listen to it without tearing up. He keeps me laughing with his odd sense of humor. And you just can't overstate the importance of laughter when you live in about 800 square feet with the same person for almost 25 years. :-)
We both enjoy hiking every year in the WV mountains. The Dolly Sods area is stunning in the fall.
The beauty we have seen has blown our minds. We have made wonderful memories that we both cherish, not just on our vacations, but in everyday life.
So, things were going good. But then...his health took a big hit early this year. By the end of February, he went to the emergency room and was admitted. Two days later they discovered a pretty large cancerous brain tumor causing a midline shift in his brain. He had to be transfered to another hospital to have it removed. "Glioblastoma grade 4" they said. "A particularly aggressive form of cancer". Shocked us both. Now that it's removed, he's undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
- The costs of the surgery and treatments are insanely expensive. Other associated costs are also getting out of hand. Plus, we've lost at least $8600 in wages since he was last able to work.
- Our car payment is $173.95 / month. It's our only vehicle and the treatment facility is a 33 mile round trip. So we must keep the car somehow. Plus it will need tires and rear brakes soon.
- Of course, the regular monthly bills just keep rolling in.
- All donations will go towards medical bills, car and travel expenses, and regular monthly household bills.
Even if/when he gets back to work, his paycheck won't make even a small scratch on the surface of these expenses. We have no savings to draw from or investments to cash in.
He feels this financial stress so strongly and deeply that I'm afraid it will affect his recovery. I want him to concentrate on getting better, not stressing over whether our bills get paid. I want him around for years to come. Although we won't make it to the mountains this fall because of the bills, just making it to 25 years will be wonderful.
He doesn't do well asking for help, but for his sake, and mine, I'm asking.
Thank you so much for reading this far. And if you choose to donate, all I can do is thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all.