Support Randy Ray

I want to tell you all about my brother Randy.

Randy’s been lucky enough to spend his life surrounded by friends. He’s always had a dollar to lend, even when he couldn’t afford it. He’s always got brilliant and loving advice to give, even when he’s struggling. He’ll always have a spot on his couch (or a spare bedroom) for anyone who needs a safe place to land, even when a few days turns into a few weeks or a few months.

Randy is a proud father to Maddie and Mary, a dedicated and loyal friend, a dog-lover, a voracious reader, and nobody’s enemy. He made it very clear that he didn’t want us to launch a Save Randy Ray campaign, but that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

It’s hard to pinpoint why, but people have always been drawn to my brother. If you’ve ever spent any time with Randy, you understand. I had to break out the thesaurus to come up with a word that accurately describes him – that word is “gregarious.” My brother has always been there for anyone and everyone who needed him, and he’d literally give you the shirt off his back if it would keep you dry.

But right now, Randy needs our help.

Everything changed for him on November 5th. A minor medical emergency turned into life-altering bad news.

Randy broke his arm on the 4th and was admitted to the hospital that afternoon in terrific pain. Suspicious of the broken bone, his doctors sought the opinion of specialists, who discovered early signs of cancer in his blood. That growing cancer weakened his bones to the point that it didn’t take much for a break. This was November 5th, just a day after that painful broken arm, and just four days after Randy signed up for health insurance. More on that insurance later.

Tests are still being run, but his doctors think the diagnosis will be multiple myeloma. This is a type of cancer that forms in the white blood cells, specifically in the plasma cells. A healthy person’s plasma cells help them fight off infections by producing antibodies that identify and attack germs. Patients with multiple myeloma have a build-up of cancerous plasma cells that prevents healthy immune cells from forming. Multiple myeloma typically damages the immune system, the bones, and the kidneys.

In a way, Randy’s broken arm was lucky. His doctors may not have caught the disease at such an early stage if he hadn’t been admitted to the hospital to deal with that break.

Now he faces a dilemma. Remember that health insurance he signed up for less than a week before he was diagnosed with cancer? It kicks in on January 1st, 2022. That’s great news, and it will help in his recovery in the long term. But, in the meantime, he’ll be recovering from surgery to repair his arm, and he’ll need both physical and occupational therapy to regain proper use of it. There’s also the cancer diagnosis to address.

Though it’s too early for doctors to say what stage of disease he’s in, they’re recommending a course of oral medications and chemotherapy. We’re awaiting further test results to get a clearer picture of what Randy’s immediate future looks like.

In the meantime, here’s the good news: Randy’s business is still running, thanks to his employees and business partners coming together to support him. He’s able to maintain some income, and as his arm heals, he plans to get back to working full-time. Cancer hasn’t taken away his livelihood, it’s just that his income is now insufficient to meet the demands of the disease.

We’re all doing our best to love him and support him, but we could use some assistance. Soon, Randy will need to pay for a bone marrow biopsy procedure completely out of pocket. This test will help his doctors tailor a course of treatment to cure, not just treat, his cancer.

He’s also facing a big medical bill for the arm repair and hospital stay. Also, his recovery depends heavily on his participation in physical and occupational therapy, both of which will have to be paid for out of pocket at least until the new year. We are going to help him arrange cash payment prices with his providers, but that will only get him so far.

The bone marrow biopsy alone could cost as much as $6,000, though we hope to negotiate a more manageable rate. The total hospital bill amount is unknown, though we’re expecting a really big number when that bill comes.

Any amount of support will go directly to putting Randy on the path to health. His local support system is doing everything it can in terms of taking care of practical matters and helping him get through his day. Two friends are living with him full-time to help with everyday tasks, and his business partners and employees are helping hold up his finances.

Money donated to this campaign goes directly to settling his coming medical debt, completing those all-important biopsies and other cancer-related tests, and starting him back on the path to wellness. We want him to get back to work, sure, but we also want him to spend as much time as possible with his amazing daughters. He has books to read, dogs to pet, and the rest of his life to live.

So many Americans are just one bad blood test or a freak broken arm away from total catastrophe. We’re close to shielding our friend Randy from the worst parts of this disease, but we need your help to get him to the finish line.

Randy is working hard to take on this part of his journey without fear. After spending his entire life trying to make his corner of the world brighter, it’s time for the rest of us to come together in whatever way we can to Save Randy Ray.