Support Doug's Battle Against Lymphoma

Help Our Dad Fight Lymphoma: A Call for Support

Dear Friends, Family, and Kind Hearts,

We are reaching out with the heaviest hearts imaginable, yet doing everything we can to maintain a hopeful spirit. Our Dad, Doug, has recently been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma, with lesions found to be present in both his brain (4) and throughout his spine. This progressive and aggressive cancer has come up unexpectedly (as many of you who know Doug, he has always been a healthy and active person), yet this disease very quickly made its existence known through significant and rapid neurological symptoms/decline amongst other devastating symptoms. It is no doubt that this formidable opponent has turned not only his life completely upside down, but also myself, my sister, his family, and also most importantly, my mom's. Our dad was emergently hospitalized in the ICU at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse NY on 8/8/24. He has remained hospitalized since this date, in the ICU until 8/20/24 and on the oncology floor for treatment and ongoing monitoring since then. During this time, he has faced many challenges and setbacks, yet has gone through endless tests, scans, and procedures, including a brain biopsy and PICC line placement. At this time, Chemotherapy amongst additional aggressive treatments have been initiated for our dad, with no time table of when he may be able to leave the hospital at this time. If he can progress enough, he will transition to rehab prior to returning home with ongoing outpatient treatments. The road to recovery will for sure be a long one: physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially.

The Challenges:

Crouse Hospital, the Neurosurgery team, and the Oncology team amongst many other specialists are currently providing his Cancer treatment, Neurology treatment, and overall care at this time. My mom (especially), as well as other family members, have traveled to and from the hospital, daily, to provide support to our dad throughout this life changing time. Medical expenses (bills from both before the hospitalization and throughout the hospitalization thus far), along with travel expenses—gas, parking, food, and other costs—are already adding up quickly, and we would like to ask for your help to ease these evergrowing financial burdens.

Furthermore, our dad (while experiencing these rapid onset of symptoms over the past two months), initially continued to attempt to work and then recently retired on his 65th birthday, just a month ago on July 30th. My mom is also retired, with medical conditions of her own (Chronic Kidney Disease, etc). Due to this, financial burden is further enhanced for our family as a result. These factors add yet another additional layer of stress to an already excruciating and unexplainably difficult and heart-wrenching situation. We want to ensure that our dad and mom have the financial support they need to focus solely on his recovery and obtaining the best treatments possible to try and fight this horrible disease and all of the symptoms he has endured along with it.

Our Goal:

We have currently set a goal to raise $25,000 to cover associated costs, as they are already adding up very quickly despite the rapid onset and progression of this awful disease. This money will ensure that our mom & dad can focus primarily on his treatment and supporting his recovery without the additional stress of financial strain and debt. Every dollar raised will go directly towards covering:

-Hospital bills, medical bills, both inpatient and outpatient bills/copays, rehab stay/treatment, as well as medical transportation and in home medical care when necessary

-Gas and Transportation Costs: Regular trips to and from the treatment centers/appointments/hospital as well as parking costs

-Lodging Expenses: Overnight stays when/if necessary and any out of state travel for medical treatments

-Additional Costs: Meals and other incidental expenses.

Any additional money raised will go directly to our mom & dad to support them with everyday expenses while tackling this unimaginable news

How You Can Help:

Donate: Please remember that no contribution is too small. Every donation, no matter the size will make a significant difference and brings us closer to our goal of supporting our dad through the hardest battle of his life.

Share: Spread the word to your network, friends, and family. The more people that know, the better our chances of reaching our goal and supporting our dad through this.

Offer Support: If you have suggestions or connections that could help, please reach out. If you'd like to pray for our dad, we sincerely appreciate your thoughts and prayers as well.

Why This Matters:

Our dad is our hero- he always has been and ALWAYS will be. He is far beyond a remarkable person, so much so that it is difficult to put into words. He is the most selfless and giving individual we've ever known, and one who has dropped everything in his life to consistently help and support others. He was always so full of life, generosity, and kindness and we want nothing more than to give that back to him. We are invested more than ever in helping our dad fight this disease, in hopes that he can enjoy an improved quality of life (and retirement that he has worked his whole life to earn). This battle with Cancer and treatments is not just his fight (although he is the strongest person we know!); it’s a challenge for all of us who love and support him. By coming together, we can help to ease his burden and help him focus on what truly matters: his health and treatment progress/recovery.

Thank you from the bottom of our broken hearts, for taking the time to read our story and for considering a contribution for our dad. Your support means the world to us and provides that bit of hope and strength we all need during this heart-shattering time in our lives.

With heartfelt gratitude,

The Hayes family