UPDATE and (another) fundraiser for my brother Christopher Finch, who had a stroke in December. He's only 56 years old, but he has an extremely rare and progressive condition called moyamoya that causes narrowing of the arteries. A stroke was likely inevitable.

He has made steady progress with his ability to speak clearly, do some tasks requiring fine motor skills, etc. He still can't open bottles, button buttons, write, type, and needs help dressing. But the time has come for him to leave Bakersfield. I'll be moving him up to Zion to live with my mom at least temporarily.

So now I dive into the sea of red tape that is Medicaid. He doesn't qualify for monthly disability funds because his work history doesn't fit their guidelines (mostly because he worked for over a decade overseas). I'm hopeful he can access other resources.

I know his friends who are still in the area may want to visit him. I will do my best to see if he's open to that - I really don't know how uncomfortable he is with people seeing him these days. Time will tell.

Our move is likely going to be in September, and any donations to help offset the cost of me flying to Bakersfield, renting a car, driving 4 days across the country, and flying home are most appreciated. I'm still out of work - since December - and things have never been leaner. No pressure - I'm never comfortable asking for this, but I know there are many people who have stepped up for him in the past already.

Thank you again for everything you've done to support Chris, his wife, and my mom and me these past months. I'll try to do another update sometime soon and not wait six months.