Sherie & John Harder Medical Fund

In December of 2015, John's wife Sherie Harder was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor during a routine colonoscopy. Over the course of the past two years, cancer has spread from her colon to her liver and now to her lungs. She received treatment in the form of surgery and chemotherapy for the past year and a half at the Virginia Mason Clinic in Seattle. At the end of November, Sherie was discharged from Virginia Mason and she made the difficult decision to stop any further treatment and go home on Hospice Care. Sherie has been the primary income earner in their family carrying the medical insurance. Once she was terminated from her job and went on disability her medical insurance stopped and John picked up the insurance premiums through Lexus. However, without Sherie's income, it is difficult for them to sustain the costs of the monthly premiums.

 

John is an insulin dependent Type 1 diabetic. He has had diabetes for 46 years. As a result of this, he is also being treated for glaucoma and high blood pressure. During this past year, John noticed that he was experiencing balance issues and having difficulty using his hands. After a series of tests and medical evaluations by a neurologist, it was determined that John has a progressive form of Multiple Sclerosis. He has been fitted with leg braces and is using walking sticks for assistance in walking. His physical limitations make it impossible for him to physically care for his wife Sherie. Currently, family members are taking turns staying with them providing care for both John and Sherie. Sherie is using continuous oxygen and a walker. She has a hospital bed and a wheelchair at home and requires assistance bathing and getting to the bathroom. 

They have very limited resources to use towards their mounting medical bills.