My name is David Gianino and this fundraiser is for Steve and Lori Chambless, my father-in-law and mother-in-law.

This is Steve. Steve is a veteran, hunter, fisher, a retired CDL driver, avid outdoorsman, Disney fan, tinkerer, soccer enthusiast, all-around goofy guy, a devoted husband and father, and a PeePaw/PopPop to his grandkids. He lives in Willard, Kentucky, on 17 acres with his wife, Lori. Together, they built (as a labor of love) Stelor Haven Farms, an oasis to themselves to escape the busy life and have a place to retreat to and live surrounded by nature and serenity in the Kentucky countryside.

On January 8, 2026, Steve was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, also known as CJD. It's a rare, degenerative, neurological disease that affects 1-in-a-million people. The disease is always fatal. There is no cure. The disease causes proteins to attack brain cells and as the proteins replicate and spread, the brain begins to rapidly degenerate, impacting speech, motor functions, muscle memory, personality, balance, cognition, and organ functions. More about CJD below.

Steve has been experiencing some memory and cognitive issues over the past 8 months, but doctors did not have enough information to be able to fully diagnose until recently. Steve's been forgetting things, having difficulty with logic and things making sense, speech issues, and balance problems as well. He remembers people, but can't remember where the bathrooms are, what he was in the process of doing, and specific words or phrases don't make sense.

The average lifespan from the beginning of symptoms is one year, so we're not sure how much longer Steve will be with us. Lori is still working full-time and Steve has retired. Lori is also currently acting as his full-time caretaker, which will get more difficult to manage as the disease progresses. She is also working a full-time (often more than 40+ hrs a week), which will make things harder for her to manage both her job and taking care of Steve. Additionally, since Steve's status is deteriorating so rapidly, there isn't much time for saving up for after-life preparations.

To make things more challenging, Steve is without healthcare at the moment. The cost (due to previous illnesses and health issues) have made it too expensive for him to afford health insurance. Most, if not all, of these expenses are going to be out-of-pocket for Steve and Lori.

If anyone knows Steve and Lori, they are incredible people who are always willing to help out when other people ask for help or need assistance, even if it means they have to pull from their savings accounts, take time away from their farm to help with a build project, or spend time away to help move someone. After seeing them give so much of themselves to help others, I'm asking that friends, family, and others who know and care for Steve and Lori pay it forward to them to help them through this incredibly difficult time. Lori will be experiencing new day-to-day expenses, in-home care expenses, and some not-so-fun-to-talk-about end-of-life preparations that need to be made.

If you are willing to help, we are asking for financial support to help Lori through this difficult prognosis. The family will be dealing with plenty of emotions and logistics and if financial support can be alleviated, it will allow them to spend more time with Steve, unburdened by the stress of financial issues. All funds will go to support funeral expenses and end-of-life services, in-home care support, and other expenses that Steve's CJD diagnosis will create.

As I write this, I can't help but share that Steve is a believer and even though he is no longer able to consistently recall what that means, that by the grace of God, this will not be the last time we see Steve. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for any level of financial support and even if you can't provide any financial support, prayers are also welcome, as the peace and strength of the Holy Spirit cannot be understated, especially during difficult times.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6.