Mashing Multiple Myeloma #BlessLes

Joyce Williams is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of her brother, Les Williams.

#BlessLes!

He’s a brother, a son, an uncle, a guncle, a grand-uncle, a nephew, a grandson, a dog dad, and an amazing friend. He’s the kind of guy that would do anything to help you. From lighting 100 candles (or at least that’s what it seemed like) at his niece’s wedding then getting an applause from guests after a silly gesture of phew and wiping his forehead, to flying into town and renting a U-haul, packing it and driving over 200 miles in a blizzard to bring his niece home from college for Christmas.

When my son was interested in a baseball career and we vacationed in Los Angeles, Les set up a meeting with The Assistant GM of the LA Dodgers, and she spoke with my son about what it took to be a MLB player. He also surprised me and my husband with the Oriole Bird Mascot at our baseball-themed wedding and when he couldn’t get Brooks Robinson, my favorite player of all time, to make an appearance; he made sure he got a personalized autographed photo.

He helped his nephew kick off his business, Fire Beard Forge because “you only have one chance to make a first impression.” Les sent our family a snowball truck during an extremely hot Christmas in July celebration when he couldn’t make it. He is also a jokester, always competing to be the first to call late at night on Christmas Eve to see if Santa came. When he moved to LA he sent his nieces and nephews on a mission to TP their Aunt’s house on his behalf.

Les became a minister so he could officiate for his dear friends on their wedding day. After making friends during a trip to Cuba, Les helped a young man seek asylum. If he is near your home, you might get a call asking you to join him for a meal. He will check on your friends if they are sick. He would do it because he knew how important they were to you.

Les would remind us to build that deck, pave that driveway (we like a bouncy house not a bouncy car), or add that addition to your home. He’s a constant cheerleader, gives us words of encouragement, pushes us to open our minds, to do better, and to see the beauty of the world. He encourages us to take that trip, further our education, and that it’s okay to take that risk. Do it…do it all, have no regrets and most importantly, do it with a smile and a laugh. Think of all the memories you will miss if you don’t! If you ever got lost on a road trip, he would say “you’re never lost, think of it as an adventure!”

I noticed in his High School year book as his ambition, he wrote “To take what life has to offer and live it to its fullest.” He’s been living that mantra. He loves life, his friends, family, and meeting people from all over the world. Needless to say, he has good friends everywhere! He listens, has empathy, is extremely sensitive and knows what to say when someone is going through a tough time. "What can I do for you.” The thing is, growing up we didn’t have a lot of money but we were wealthy in love. Les does everything in his power to spread that wealth.

Here comes the hard part. Due to the COVID pandemic, my brother lost his contract job. Shortly after, he was sent to the emergency room for extremely low hemoglobin (4.5). He was losing blood and the endoscopy showed a tumor in his stomach. The GI doctor told him it was malignant and they would have to remove his stomach. There was no way Les was going to lose his stomach. He loves food and that perfect buttercream frosting birthday cake from Hansen’s! After several tests, biopsies and scans, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. After 16 units of blood and no ending in sight for blood loss, he was given the opportunity (by a friend… I told you he has great friends!) for treatment at the number one hospital in the country, Mayo Clinic.

Mayo has been fantastic! They got the tumor to stop bleeding and his treatments are now preparing him for a stem cell transplant. We know this new adventure for Les will be a lengthy one but he is handling it with laughter, humility and dignity. The doctor told him 5 years. Les laughed. “You need to add a zero on that!” “My original was 100 now it’s 105.” “There’s way too much to explore, people to meet, and I’ve worked hard since a teenager to miss out on Medicare and Social Security!” He wants to see what the world is like when he’s 100! He is deciding his future.

Here’s the really hard part. Les has incurred over $50,000 in medical debt. His insurance carrier has denied his claim and he’s paying rent in two places as well as other expenses. His savings are dwindling and we want to do everything we can to make this journey easier and less stressful. We are asking for help.

We ask that everyone send prayers and positive energy for Les to reach AND stay in remission. The sooner Les gets healthy; the sooner we will all benefit from his fun-loving, free-spirited self.

Any donation is appreciated. No donation is too small. Every dollar helps. Thank you so much for being a part of #BlessLes!

There's a saying, "When life throws you a curve ball, pick up a bat and swing!" Les is swinging for the fences! Keep swinging Les, we’ve got your back!