My name is Walter. I am 59 years old, living alone in Houston, and recently, my life came to a grinding halt.

The photo you see above was taken just a few months ago in February, when I was abroad, helping others in need. I have always tried to be the one giving help, but today, I am in the incredibly humbling position of having to ask for it.

At the end of April, I was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. While the one piece of good news is that it was caught early, the tumor is growing and the treatment plan requires immediate and intense action. To get to this diagnosis, I had to undergo multiple rounds of expensive testing, imaging, and biopsies, alongside numerous specialist visits.

Now, I am preparing for the next phase. On July 29th, I will undergo a CT Simulation to map out exactly how my medical team will attack the cancer. Following that, I will begin five solid weeks of daily radiation treatments (Monday through Friday), coupled with hormonal therapy that will last for two full years.

I have always been a fiercely independent person, but I have reached a point where I have exhausted absolutely every resource I have. I am currently unemployed, and finding work at my age, let alone while needing significant time off for daily cancer treatments, has proven nearly impossible. I took out a title loan against my vehicle just to stay afloat, and a critical $485 payment is due at the end of this month. Right now, I have exactly $5 left in my bank account, which I have been protecting just to survive.

In the past, whether it was finding quiet ways to anonymously donate to others' campaigns or traveling to help in a crisis zone, I always tried to pay it forward. I never expected to be the one writing one of these pages. Today, I have nowhere else to turn but to the kindness and generosity of strangers.

Any funds raised will go directly toward paying off my title loan so I don't lose my transportation to the hospital, keeping a roof over my head, keeping my health insurance active, and covering the insurmountable out-of-pocket medical costs that are piling up.

If you are able to help me pay it forward, or even just share this page, I would be eternally grateful. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.