This is my brother Josh, my one and only sibling. As many of you know last year he was diagnosed with End Stage Liver Disease, and HCC (liver cancer) which they believe metastasized into his lung. In August he decided to come home to stay with me, he was preparing to die. His body was swollen filled with fluid to the max, he was struggling to breathe and walking with a cane. I asked him to not give up yet and took him to the U of M for a second opinion. He agreed and we began this journey to fight for more time. We know how this battle will end but we will continue to LIVE as long as possible. I became his medical caregiver, filling pill boxes, setting alarms for meds , driving to appointments, and making sure he was fed. He applied for disability benefits and was approved immediately due to this being terminal…After starting new meds he really was improving tremendously. He was starting to enjoy the life he had left. Our focus was quality and not quantity.

Just when things were going right, everything went wrong, and this journey took a darker path.

A few days before Christmas, Josh was pulled over by police here in Michigan because the plate didn’t match the vehicle he was driving. I had not transferred it yet his license was suspended and he had outstanding warrant’s from Indiana (old possession charges from 2017). The arresting officer let him call me to come get his truck and said he should be released after seeing the magistrate, that Michigan wasn’t doing any out of state transfers.

Madison county Indiana came to get him and they still have him. I have been fighting a great battle with them to get him proper medical treatment. This battle is filled with obstacles and seems very impossible. Even though I sent medical records to the court, the prosecutor and his public defender. It all fell on deaf ears. The medical staff ignored me and told me he is their property and my medical power of attorney holds no power. They tried telling him he’s not sick and doesn’t have cancer. They told him to stop complaining that he’s faking it for attention. They said they have no records of him seeing a liver specialist. Even though I sent records. In February he started having issues with his blood sugar dropping, getting dizzy and weak. He requested medical, which they charge him $25 for a visit, but they never came. Luckily there was a lady working in the kitchen that was aware of what was happening and she told him if he ever needed help to let her know. He went to her and she was able to get a nurse and his blood sugar was 40. They gave him crackers and sent him on his way. The next time this happens the nurse checked his blood pressure and said he was fine, he had to ask her to check his blood sugar.

Last Wednesday he was found unconscious in a pool of blood and urine, he was taken to the emergency room twice that day. We have no details on his medical info from that incident and the jail will not give us any. Josh’s ammonia levels were high which cause confusion so he is not even clear on what actually happened. However he did say they now are seeing his cancer diagnosis.

I just got a notice that they have temporarily stopped his disability payments because he has been incarcerated for more than 30 days. So now he has no money for me to put on his account for nurse visits and most important phone time so he can keep me updated and so I know he’s OK .

He is sentenced till October however he has a modification hearing later in May. We are hoping he will be released then.

I’m trying to get some money put together to send. The fees are ridiculous it’s $7.95 each time I add money to his books whether it’s $5-300. Then adding money to his phone account is a separate fee.

Also if you’d like to send him well wishes or messages let me know. Keeping his mindset strong is half the battle. There are days he doesn’t believe he will make it out alive. It takes everything to believe .