As many of you know, I have been battling Multiple Myeloma, a rare type of blood cancer, since my diagnosis in November 2022. After years of back pain due to five compression fractures in my spine caused by cancer, I finally had a known reason for my pain. I ended up in the hospital for two weeks for immediate radiation therapy and pain management. I was out of work for three months, used all my accumulated sick, vacation, and comp time, and had to go on leave without pay. I didn’t qualify for short-term disability because I had already been on disability in 2022 and had to wait to qualify in 2023. With no income for that period, the medical bills have been adding up quickly, and my savings have dwindled to nothing.

As part of my treatment, I must undergo a stem cell transplant. This requires that I be in the hospital for two weeks and then be transferred to a caregiver for at least two weeks close to the hospital in Portland. Thankfully, we secured a place across the street from the hospital. My daughter, Raven, is taking time off from work to be my primary caregiver for the two weeks after my release. She’ll take more time off if recovery does not go as planned. Unfortunately, she does not yet have paid time off or much sick time at her work. The best-case scenario is I will go into remission and recover from the transplant in 3 months!

I am scheduled to have my Stem Cell transplant on August 11th and have three months to reach my fundraising goal to help with medical bills, food, gas, and all our expenses for our homes in Corvallis.