It was the best of times, it was the worst of times …

My name is Walter F. Vosburgh. I’ve spent my entire life serving others, including ten years in the United States Navy, standing watch during the Cold War, escorting reflagged Kuwaiti tankers in Operation Earnest Will during the Iran / Iraq War, and doing whatever else was needed to protect this country and our liberty and freedom.

After the Navy, I built a thirty‑year career in sales, with the last twelve years spent helping hospitals keep their patients and staff safe. I worked hard, I showed up, I gave everything I had.

At home, my neighbors and friends call me “Mr. Fix It” because I’ve always been the one who steps in to get things fixed when something breaks - cars, appliances, plumbing, bikes, anything. I never asked for anything in return because helping people has always been the way I tried to make the world a little better.

But now, I am facing the toughest challenge of my life and I’m not backing down. Nothing I’ve ever faced has beaten me, and I won't allow this new challenge to win either.

In 2023, I survived congestive heart failure. I fought my way back to excellent health, only to lose the job I loved shortly afterward. I had given that company years of loyalty, dedication, and top performance, and I was replaced without a second thought. I tried to rebuild, to start over, to keep going.

And then, this month, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer.

Hearing those words when your life is already hanging by a thread shakes you to your core. It feels like the ground disappears beneath your feet. Like you’re falling and there’s nothing to grab onto.

The truth is simple and painful: I am in desperate need of help.

I’ve spent my entire life being the one who showed up for others. The one who fixed things. The one who made sure no one else had to struggle alone or be scared. The one who threw them a lifeline. But now, I’m the one who is struggling. I’m the one who is alone. I'm the one who is scared. I’m the one who needs a lifeline thrown to me.

I’m 64 years old, fighting cancer, trying to hold my life together with everything I've got - and it’s not enough. My medical treatments are going to cost a fortune and they could wipe me out. I need help to stay afloat, to keep going, to have a chance to get through this fight without losing everything I’ve worked for my entire life.

I am asking, with all the humility I have, if anyone is able to help - please help me. Even the smallest contribution would give me a moment to breathe, a moment of stability, a moment of hope ...

Thank you for reading my story, thank you for caring, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for anything you can do.