Community, we are reaching out to each of you in hopes to provide a source of strength for our dear friends. As some may only know, a strong and dedicated member of Hayesville NC, Wes Chastain is needing your help. For the past 15 years Wes has battled Leukemia (CLL). On top of this extreme battle he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer 3 years ago in which he fought it off hard with the help of Chemo Therapy and Radiation. Sadly, it has returned again only this time, his only option was to have the lower majority of the esophagus and the upper 75% of his stomach removed. Now he relies on a feeding tube to gain the nutrients his body needs to continue to gain strength to heal from this recent surgery. Due to the sensitivity of this surgery, he has anywhere from 6-12 months of recovery ahead of him. He is admitted into the ICU at Union General until they can get him into a specialty rehab facility. He will stay there for months until he is stable to come home.

Both Wes and his son, Brendon, have exhausted their savings to keep the bills paid and unfortunately are exceeding their ability to maintain the continual bills from the hospital and household utilities.

We ask that you consider helping Wes and his family with these major cost that have stacked up from surgery and on going appointments required for his health. As of now, he is on a peck tube for feeding and this alone is $3,300 per month.

Before Wes was diagnosed, his favorite hobbies were hiking and fishing, woodworking and riding his motorcycle. I'm sure many of you have memories made with Wes doing these things. He loves his dog, Lena who is waiting for him back at home. In his past, he worked on a Horse ranch in Amarillo TX, driven semi trucks across the nation and retired as a Systems Administrator for the Brunswick County Community College in NC after dedicating a previous 13 years to Tri-County Community College.

As you can tell-He was a very dedicated hard working individual who's served a lot of his time taking care of his family and providing for those he loves. All we are asking for is a token of support while he carries through this time unable to cover the cost of his medical needs and home utilities. Any amount is appreciated and will only go towards the needs he has medically. If you cannot give the smallest amount, please at least consider keeping him in your prayers and adding him to your prayer list for a quick healing recovery. We sure cannot wait to have him back at his home doing the things he loves the most. Thank you all!