Please help Grandpa David beat Myelofibrosis.

David Porter is a 67-year-old grandpa doing his best to beat Myelofibrosis. Grandpa David had to retire early after over 30 years as a machinist due to his factory shutting down. As much as he loved his work, this became a blessing in disguise as it allowed him time to bond and play a major role in the life of his three grandchildren, whom he adores.

Grandpa David has always been an outdoorsman and enjoys being one with nature. He enjoys long drives across the United States, cycling, hiking, camping, etc. Until recently (1 year to be exact), he has been pretty fit and healthy. Unfortunately, things worsened last year when he developed a pulmonary embolism, which led to a bone marrow biopsy, which diagnosed Myelofibrosis with JACK 2 Mutation. He is now in need of a Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplant as soon as possible.

Grandpa David comes from a small family with limited resources to help him through this treatment. He lives a very simple life in the very small town of Chloride, Arizona. The high cost of living led to him leaving his family in California where up until recently he thought he would live a quiet life in an area he enjoys. Unfortunately, his current treatment requires him to drive into town to get weekly blood transfusions due to severe anemia. Both my sister and I, who live in California, are doing what we can to help him however, limited funds and the inability to travel make caregiving extremely difficult. My sister has been doing what she could to help, but it has taken an extreme toll on her as well. His upcoming treatments will involve a bone marrow stem transplant, which will consist of 5 to 6 weeks of treatment at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Phoenix Arizona. Upon completion of the aggressive chemo, he will need to stay within a 30-minute radius of the hospital and requires 24/7 around the clock care for at least 3 months depending upon his progress. Unfortunately, this is not covered by his insurance, which is the reason for seeking the assistance of kind, caring and generous individuals such as yourself. Generally, we are the type of family always willing to help others out and lend a helping hand however, we can. Given the complexity of our father/grandfathers health, we are finding ourselves in a reverse situation where we need to seek the help of others.

I’ve been looking for nearby hotels however, this still does not meet the requirements of him needing 24/7 care and the hotel costs alone are excessive and beyond what we can afford for that length of time. I did find an assisted living facility within a 2 mile radius who can provide the care he needs however, that is going to run $5,500 per month. At a bare minimum, we are looking at an estimated $17,500 with a $1,500 deposit due ASAP.

It has been extremely difficult for my family and I see the health of our father/grandfather decline so rapidly. He went from being an avid cyclist to needing assistance just climbing up a flight of stairs due to labored breathing and extreme fatigue. I realize there are many out there in need, but if you could find it in your heart to help our family anyway you can whether it be monetarily or through prayer, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your prayerful hearts and generosity can help a small family to make years more of happy memories together.

With love and gratitude,

Sasha