Four weeks ago, my 73-year-old father was rushed to the emergency room with severe abdominal pain. After a series of tests, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He had a colon resection and as pathology began to come back - Lymphoma was also found. He has started chemotherapy, but his body is not responding well to the treatments. Just in the last week he has undergone a Lumbar Puncture, Bone Marrow Biopsy, and had a port placed in his chest wall. He’s had several unfortunate complications including a UTI, Pneumonia, hospital Delirium, and an ileus. He has been on TPN for 2 weeks. He remains in the hospital and will need further therapy and rehab before he can be discharged.

As if this wasn’t enough, a week prior being taken into the ER, a pipe burst in his home, flooding the entire house and making it unlivable. Now, even if he were to be discharged, he has nowhere to go. My sister and I are his only caretakers, and we have been working tirelessly with the state to seek emergency assistance for him to no avail. Out of desperation, I even went as far as calling Adult Protective Services. They were unable to help.

I have taken leave from work under FMLA to be by his side every day, and my sister has been flying back and forth from Colorado to help with his medical care and to clean out his home. All expenses—medical bills, rehabilitation costs not covered by insurance, and housing—are coming directly out of our pockets. We cannot express how much even a small gift of generosity would mean to our family during this exceedingly difficult time. If you are so inclined, we also ask that you keep our dad’s health and recovery in your prayers.