After over two years of unexplained high fevers and a myriad of tests and specialists later, we got the news no one ever wants to hear... a large mass was found that looked like cancer. A week later it was confirmed and in October of 2021 Joe Miracle was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.

 

Treatment began just a few weeks later with 8 rounds of chemo over the course of about 2 months, followed by an intensive daily Monday- Friday regimen of radiation treatments for 5 weeks, along with a different form of chemo taken orally. He is currently a little over half way done with radiation! After Joe finishes radiation He will have a short break in treatment to allow his body to recover enough to lastly have a series of surgeries to remove what's left of the mass in his colon and re-attach his bowels.

 

While Joe's prognosis is good, this process is not without its financial burden. While he was able to continue working some throughout chemo, his vacation and sick time ran out at the beginning of the year, so any day he had to take off for treatment and recovery was unpaid. Now that the radiation portion of treatment has begun, he is unable to work at all because of the frequency of the treatments and then won't be able to return to work until fall. Thankfully Joe does have disability coverage through his work, however it is just a percentage of his normal pay, leaving a pretty big gap financially- especially in the wake of large medical bills.

Cancer treatment is not cheap!! While we have health insurance through Joe’s work, our deductible is quite high. Because Joe’s diagnosis came toward the end of the year, we’ve had to meet that deductible twice in a relatively short amount of time, starting over in January.  Additionally, the rising gas prices are adding to the burden, as Joe is having to commute from Murfreesboro to Franklin daily (a 30-minute drive) for His treatments and appointments.

 

In light of all this we're asking for not only prayer support but also financial partnership. We believe that the Lord has provision for every need, including this!! We’ve already been overwhelmed with the love and support our community has shown us since Joe’s diagnosis. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with us in getting Joe to the finish line of his healing journey?