UPDATE: They say that when life give you lemons, you make lemonade...But what do you do when life plants a whole damn lemon grove in your parent's front yard? After 2 bouts of cancer, 6 months of chemo, and several surgeries, my Dad is going under the knife again to repair his herniated colon and have a mesh put in. He will be off work for 6-8 weeks after January 19th. He does not have benefits or paid time off so he will not receive any compensation while he is recovering. My mom has not been able to work since June as she has been suffering from dysphonia (a vocal cord disorder that causes her not to be able to speak well). With neither of them working, it will be hard for them to take care of their monthly expenses. My brother lives with them and helps out as much as he can but he also has a 7 (almost 8) year old son that he has to take care of. I wish I could do something but unfortunately, I live in Alabama, 660 miles away. So once again, this is my way of helping out. Please spare a few dollars for them or say a prayer for them often over the next few months. They have been through so much already and it seems as though it just won't stop.


Meet Rusty, he's my Dad. He is one of the most hardworking men I know. He is the Father of 3 grown children, myself, my older sister, and my younger brother. He is also a Grandfather of 6 amazing grandkids (5 boys and 1 girl). He has been married to my Mom for 41 years. He is an active member of his church and has been for over 25 years. He is a coal truck driver from a small town in Southwestern Pennsylvania. He is the most amazing, caring, giving, and loving person I have even known. And, for the second time in his life, he has cancer.

My Dad is 61 years young. In March of 2012, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. They found it early enough and two months later, he had his prostate (and all cancer associated with it) removed. He was cancer free for almost 3 years. Then on July 2nd of this year, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He has a follow-up appointment in 2 days to find out the severity of the cancer and set out a treatment plan.

This news was a crushing blow as my Mother had just had a surgical procedure on her spine less than 2 months ago. Dad's work does not provide medical insurance or other benefits. If he doesn't work, he doesn't get paid. Mom's insurance has been tapped out with all of the medical procedures that they have both been through over the last few years. The medical bills in addition to their mortgage and all of their regular living expenses are more than they can handle financially and they could use all the help they can get. Please find it in your hearts to give what little you can to help us reach our goal. Every little bit helps no matter how small!!!  Thanks so very much.

Sincerely,
His Loving Daughter, Tanya