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In November 2019, my dad, 65-year-old Emmanuel Lekas, went to the doctor for a routine check-up and walked out with a cancer diagnosis. They discovered one tumor in his liver, and it was clear early on that he would need a transplant. A few weeks ago, doctors found another tumor, and he had surgery/targeted chemotherapy. He is currently awaiting a new liver, and doctors estimate that he will receive one in 1-2 years.
While we wait for the transplant surgery, our hope is that both tumors do not grow to a life-threatening size, so Emmanuel travels five hours every 2-3 weeks to the San Francisco VA Hospital for scans, blood work, tests, etc. He currently lives in Ferndale, CA, with my mother and 14-year-old brother. His only healthcare is through the VA (he served in Vietnam in the early 70s), so another hospital is not an option. Traveling alone on such a regular basis while sick has proven to be quite draining (both physically and financially).
While we wait for the transplant surgery, our hope is that both tumors do not grow to a life-threatening size, so Emmanuel travels five hours every 2-3 weeks to the San Francisco VA Hospital for scans, blood work, tests, etc. He currently lives in Ferndale, CA, with my mother and 14-year-old brother. His only healthcare is through the VA (he served in Vietnam in the early 70s), so another hospital is not an option. Traveling alone on such a regular basis while sick has proven to be quite draining (both physically and financially).
My dad is considered an "essential worker" and has worked as often as humanly possible throughout the COVID-19 crisis at a local hardware store. He has three underlying conditions but unfortunately was not approved to collect unemployment or disability. My mother, who generally works as an aid for children with autism and as a substitute teacher, is now unemployed. It is worth noting that she also has a serious health problem that makes it difficult for her to work at this time (I was asked to leave out details regarding her illness).
My parents currently live in a home that they desperately need to sell and needs serious repair. Weeks before he was diagnosed, my dad began repairing the siding of the house himself but was not able to complete the project. It is vital that they sell their house and move into something smaller, more affordable, and a bit closer to doctors and family before the transplant surgery. Liver transplants are extremely invasive, and he will need at least six months to recover before returning to work.
Any money donated will first be used to pay for travel expenses and any out-of-pocket medical expenses. Additional money will be used for home repair (for necessary repair only; no funds will go toward any remodeling or unnecessary change) and post-surgery, in-home care.
My dad is a very proud man, and the idea of accepting "charity" doesn't sit well with him, but frankly, we're out of options, so I'm doing this anyway. We need him alive. We need him healthy.
THANK YOU for taking the time to read this, and if you do decide to donate ANY amount of money, know that we appreciate more than I can express.