Mitch's Medical Fund

First off I would like to thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this, it truly means the world to me and my family.

My dad, Mitchell Clay McDonald, Jr., is my hero. He joined the Navy when he was 17 years young and retired after serving our country for 21 years. Shortly after he retired from the Navy, he started working for the Department of Defense as a police officer. He's been a police officer for over 15 years now. Not only is my dad dedicated to his country, his dedication to his family and friends is enormous. We are a blended family and he's the best dad, stepdad, and grandfather a kid could ever have. Family and friends have always been able to count on him.

This past summer, my dad was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, they said it was 90% curable. He underwent a very harsh and aggressive chemo regimen which made him very sick. He has been in and out of the hospital numerous times, too many times to count only to find out 6 months later that he was misdiagnosed. He was hospitalized again with high fevers. After countless tests the radiologist saw something on a cat scan so they decided to do another biopsy. His cancer had grown and spread to other regions of his body. The chemo hadn't done anything to help… If anything, the cancer got worse. He now has permanent nerve damage on the soles of his feet, a side effect from the chemo that he received for the wrong cancer diagnosis.

After waiting a long 2 weeks for the biopsy to come back, the results were in. My dad is now diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s, b-cell grey zone lymphoma with underlying Myelo Dysplastic syndrome. Not something we were wanting to hear. This is a very aggressive growing and rare cancer. The local hospitals don't even know how to treat it; therefore, he was referred to Duke University in North Carolina for a second opinion.

My stepmom has been his caregiver 24/7. She's been by his side from the beginning of this awful journey, even though she's chronically ill herself. She is now sick with pneumonia and is unable to care for him like she normally would. My dad and my stepmom have never asked anybody for help (even though, they have awesome friends that have been helping them out, without being asked, i.e. taking care of their yard, bringing meals here and there, etc.). Both my dad and my stepmom are known to be hard workers and they are known to help others in need at any time. The tables have now turned and they now need the help of others.

Not only are the medical bills, hospital stays, and co-pays are rapidly eating up their savings, now he must go to North Carolina to find out if and how they can treat this cancer. It's a financial burden that nobody expects in their lives. They would never do this themselves so in turn, I would like to ask for financial help because money should be the least of their worries at this point. With this being said, I’m asking you to help and donate. The medical bills are piling up already and it's only going to get worse before it gets better. The smallest amount can make a big difference. Thank you all in advance! Never say this would never happen to me because It happened to us, it can happen to anybody. Your life can change forever in a split second. Please take the few minutes out of your day to tell your loved ones that you love them because life is a very valuable thing and no one is promised tomorrow. Please help them out and donate. Also, please feel free to share this.  Thank you so much.