Support Harley Lond's Medical Journey

We've started this GoFundMe for our longtime friend Harley Lond, whom we have known since Junior High School days in Los Angeles. We remember Harley as a hard-working yet mischievous student whose shoulder was always there to cry on when someone had a problem. He was smart, funny, and sassy, and always offered a helping hand to others. Now he needs some help -- with mounting medical and living expenses as he was hit with devastating health news.

He's been fighting bladder tumors on and off for seven years now and, until recently, had beaten them back. In September his urologist found a polyp in his bladder and scheduled a TURBT, which is a same-day in-and-out Bladder Tumor Removal Surgery. In November he had his procedure and this time, however, the tumor was malignant, and he was to be referred to an oncologist.

While this was going on, he had to leave his beloved Hollywood (Harley has lived in the LA area for some 70 years) after a run-in with an unscrupulous landlord and, because of the high rents in the area (and his poor credit), he moved to Lancaster with his ex-wife, Marilyn, to a subsidized retirement community. (Marilyn herself has had some setbacks and Harley gave her a lending hand, opening his apartment and giving her support). Because Harley's savings were depleted (much blame to the pandemic and loss of work) he had to borrow money from two high school buddies to make the move -- definitely a tiring, painstaking proposition.

Meanwhile, Harley's urologist dropped the ball and delayed his referral to an oncologist. The New Year came and went and in early January Harley had an attack of sciatica that knocked him out -- so much so that he was taken to the hospital by ambulance. While there -- for more than a week -- he was stuck and pricked and prodded by Torquemadas with medical degrees -- and an MRI to assess the damage to his back revealed some bad news about his bladder tumor -- it was not just a "polyp gone bad" but it was a mass that had obstructed the ureter in his right kidney, partially blocking flow into the bladder -- basically, renal failure. So the nephrologist performed a nephrostomy (basically, a tube inserted into the kidney and out the side of his back into a bag to drain the kidney).

Fortunately, there's a City of Hope in Lancaster/Palmdale, and Harley was hooked up with a urologist and oncologist from there. (He's been seeing so many other specialists he's lost track -- urologist, nephrologist, oncologist, surgical oncologist, neural surgeon, gastrointestinal surgeon, orthopedic surgeon, cardiologist, and a pain manager).

But things got worse. A PET scan in March revealed that there were more cancer sites -- in his colon, thyroid and femur. More tests have been called for -- biopsies -- and he is soon to start a regimen of chemotherapy. His quality of life has been lowered -- he's in constant pain from the kidney tube (in a joke, he told me that, "To paraphrase the Grateful Dead, I'm pretty much living on Norco and vitamin C") and walking around with a plastic bag strapped to his leg is "no fun."

Harley was a long-time editor -- first in the "small press" world of art and literature (InterMedia Magazine) and then at several entertainment magazines and websites. He was a mentor to many other editors, writers and artists, and always was there to help others climb to success. Unfortunately, none of those jobs came with the security of a pension plan, and after he lost his last job (due to the pandemic), his IRA was depleted. He's now solely living off his social security payments and a little independent work on his website, OnVideo.

With the prospect of large medical bills for chemotherapy, and the possibility that his part-time writing will be impacted by the treatment, Harley needs financial assistance. Help Harley pay some outstanding bills (the loans from two high school buddies, past moving expenses) and give him some security for the near future as he goes through these trying times.

Harley has brought joy to the lives of many, many friends, family members (Marilyn; his sister, Monica; his daughter, Lizzie; granddaughter, Dahlia; and grandsons Sawyer and Foster) and strangers. Let's return the favor and help Harley on his road to recovery.

Any amount you can contribute will be greatly appreciated, and if you aren't able to contribute money at this time, please share Harley's story with friends, family, and co-workers.