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To those of you who know my family, you may understand how hard this is for us to ask for help. Since as long as I can remember, we've tried our best to stay strong and tackle issues all on our own, amongst ourselves. We have servant hearts, and helping each other and others in need is what we do and what we've done our entire lives. Asking for help, it does not come easy for us... But the truth of the matter is, there are challenges in life that are much greater than us, these challenges are overwhelming and they have a way of consuming us to the point that we all start breaking down. Though standing together and fighting to find resolve is what we always do and will continue to do, today is a day we stand slightly broken, as some things in life are completely out of our hands.
On July 11th, 2016, my father, Steven L. Moore was diagnosed with Stage 3A Multiple Myeloma Cancer. From the American Society of Hematology: "Myeloma is cancer of the plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells that produce disease- and infection-fighting antibodies in your body. Myeloma cells prevent the normal production of antibodies, leaving your body's immune system weakened and susceptible to infection. The multiplication of myeloma cells also interferes with the normal production and function of red and white blood cells. An abnormally high amount of these dysfunctional antibodies in the bloodstream can cause kidney damage. Additionally, the myeloma cells commonly produce substances that cause bone destruction, leading to bone pain and/or fractures.
Myeloma cells are produced in the bone marrow, the soft tissue inside your bones. Sometimes myeloma cells will travel through your blood stream and collect in other bones in your body. Because myeloma frequently occurs at many sites in the bone marrow, it is often referred to as multiple myeloma."
In Stage 3, a patient experiences advanced bone damage... this was the case for my father, as he fractured his back in three places, which left him in writhing and debilitating pain. Since his diagnose, he's been receiving chemo treatments in series, he receives them every Tuesday. Yesterday would mark the beginning of the third series. Since treatment started, my father has seen some improvements, though still hard and sometimes extremely painful, each day he's getting a little stronger and able to do a little more. I got to see him sit up on his own for the first time last week, that was a great moment.
The road up ahead will not be an easy one, and in total, my father will need to receive treatment over the next 12 weeks. One of our biggest goals right now, is to bring Dad home, but in order to do that, there's several things that need to be in place. The first one is, a bathroom remodel to accomadate a wheelchair and easy access so my father can take a shower. I was able to do the demolition of the existing bathroom with the help of a friend, but now my parents are faced with the huge cost of buying building materials to make the bathroom a safe place for my father. It should also be known, that my Dad has not received a paycheck since he was admitted to the hospital and my mom is facing many struggles in dealing with EDD to get my dad on disability, you would think such a thing would be easier to obtain, given the circumstance. After the bathroom remodel is complete, Dad will need a new bed, and possibly a special chair that will allow him to safely enter and exit. Add all this up, with the soon to come medical costs and my folks are faced with an overwhelming amount of debt.
I know these Go Fund Me requests are showing up for all kinds of things, some honest and some quite misleading, but at this point our backs are up against the wall and we're facing something that is way bigger than ourselves. So humbly, I am asking for help. Help to make my parents home a safe place for my dad to recover. Help to offset the burdens and costs associated with treating my father for this horrible disease. Anything helps... and we are forever thankful to all of our friends and family who have pitched in to help already and those who continue to offer up prayer.
My father is the greatest man I have ever known. The rock in our family, a hero to me and a dear friend. I just want to see him back home again...
“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
On July 11th, 2016, my father, Steven L. Moore was diagnosed with Stage 3A Multiple Myeloma Cancer. From the American Society of Hematology: "Myeloma is cancer of the plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells that produce disease- and infection-fighting antibodies in your body. Myeloma cells prevent the normal production of antibodies, leaving your body's immune system weakened and susceptible to infection. The multiplication of myeloma cells also interferes with the normal production and function of red and white blood cells. An abnormally high amount of these dysfunctional antibodies in the bloodstream can cause kidney damage. Additionally, the myeloma cells commonly produce substances that cause bone destruction, leading to bone pain and/or fractures.
Myeloma cells are produced in the bone marrow, the soft tissue inside your bones. Sometimes myeloma cells will travel through your blood stream and collect in other bones in your body. Because myeloma frequently occurs at many sites in the bone marrow, it is often referred to as multiple myeloma."
In Stage 3, a patient experiences advanced bone damage... this was the case for my father, as he fractured his back in three places, which left him in writhing and debilitating pain. Since his diagnose, he's been receiving chemo treatments in series, he receives them every Tuesday. Yesterday would mark the beginning of the third series. Since treatment started, my father has seen some improvements, though still hard and sometimes extremely painful, each day he's getting a little stronger and able to do a little more. I got to see him sit up on his own for the first time last week, that was a great moment.
The road up ahead will not be an easy one, and in total, my father will need to receive treatment over the next 12 weeks. One of our biggest goals right now, is to bring Dad home, but in order to do that, there's several things that need to be in place. The first one is, a bathroom remodel to accomadate a wheelchair and easy access so my father can take a shower. I was able to do the demolition of the existing bathroom with the help of a friend, but now my parents are faced with the huge cost of buying building materials to make the bathroom a safe place for my father. It should also be known, that my Dad has not received a paycheck since he was admitted to the hospital and my mom is facing many struggles in dealing with EDD to get my dad on disability, you would think such a thing would be easier to obtain, given the circumstance. After the bathroom remodel is complete, Dad will need a new bed, and possibly a special chair that will allow him to safely enter and exit. Add all this up, with the soon to come medical costs and my folks are faced with an overwhelming amount of debt.
I know these Go Fund Me requests are showing up for all kinds of things, some honest and some quite misleading, but at this point our backs are up against the wall and we're facing something that is way bigger than ourselves. So humbly, I am asking for help. Help to make my parents home a safe place for my dad to recover. Help to offset the burdens and costs associated with treating my father for this horrible disease. Anything helps... and we are forever thankful to all of our friends and family who have pitched in to help already and those who continue to offer up prayer.
My father is the greatest man I have ever known. The rock in our family, a hero to me and a dear friend. I just want to see him back home again...
“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”