"This Ol' Man is Going to Chemo," Support Jeff S.

We are raising money in support of our dad, Jeff Sweeten, to cover unexpected costs of his recent lung cancer diagnosis. We are aiming to reduce the financial burden on our parents at this heartbreaking and unpredictable time. We asked him for some assitance to title the fundraiser as a soundtrack idea. He referred us to a John Prine song, “When I Go to Heaven.” It’s not time for that just yet, so we improvised on the lyrics.
 
The funds raised will assist to cover medical costs and aid in transitioning our parents to a living arrangement closer to family making it possible to provide them with 24/7 assistance.
 
 Jeff began chemo today: April 2, 2021. We would be so grateful for your contributions so we can offer some support to our dad during this time, which pales in comparison to the of the level of support he’s offered us girls (now women) for most of our lives.
 
We each have a slightly different perspective on how Jeff has touched our lives. Liz wanted to share her story, as she has been closest to him over the years. Jeff has become a Pap to her five daughters. She wants to keep him close so he can continue to watch the girls grow up and enjoy their day to day lives in San Antonio, Texas.
 
“For those of you that don’t know the story, my mom and Jeff met working together at an envelope factory in Tullahoma, Tennessee when I was nine. My biological father was not in the picture much. Jeff and my mom met, went out, and quickly proceeded with their relationship. Jeff moved in with us and married our mom. Looking back now, he must’ve been crazy then, or he really loved my mom.
Jeff came into my life, and I had a dad again. He came in with his vinyl records (crazy good music influence for us all) and a love for a woman with three young daughters. We grew to love him and he us. It wasn’t crazy to him. He was gaining the love of four people, who at one stretch of time included a house full of young women dealing with periods and puberty.

Over the years, Jeff became ever engaged in our lives. Coaching softball and baseball, he was the president of the Tullahoma Girls Softball League and remained as long as any of us were playing. He took us and our loud raucous friends anywhere and everywhere across Tennessee for the love of the ball field and music. Any concert we wanted to go to, Jeff took us. I saw Run DMC and the Beastie Boys, New Kids on the Block, and so many others thanks to him.

Jeff and my mom moved to Texas to be close to me and my daughters. He has remained as engaged in their lives as he was with mine and my sisters. Jeff is my dad and my daughters’ Pap. We are all struggling inside with this recent onset of emotion trying to figure out the best plan for everyone involved and we have come up with a solution.

Jeff is going to start chemotherapy so he can live and that is going to take a toll on its own. In order to relieve some of my parent’s stress, we have decided to build a guest house in our back yard also. I’m going to have them close in order to help with everything they’re going to need as we ride this storm together”.