In the fall of last year (2023), things were going pretty well for me: my loving girlfriend and I had moved in together and were eagerly planning an upcoming trip to Europe. I was frequently visiting beloved friends and family, and in particular, I was settling in nicely to my recent promotion to Captain at American Airlines.

On the morning of October 7th, while on a typical 4-day work trip not unlike any other, I woke up to a stroke while overnighting in Savannah, Georgia. After arriving at the hospital, I was informed that the stroke was the result of excessive bleeding in my brain caused by an aggressively growing glioblastoma (i.e., advanced brain cancer). After extensive discussion, the decision was made to transfer to Duke Medical where one of the world's top brain surgeons was willing to take my case.

So, over the following couple of weeks, I underwent two rounds of brain surgery during which the tumor was "de-bulked" but not completely removed, meaning I had several weeks of radiation treatment and months of chemotherapy to complete once back home in Charlotte. I'm in the midst of that now and despite having a fairly robust insurance policy, I have incurred and continue to incur significant expenses that insurance unfortunately does not cover. As such, I'm hoping I can count on the compassion and generosity of you, the readers, to help me and my family cover the difference that we have no choice but to pay out of pocket.