Hi, my name is Thorne. For those of you who know me personally, maybe you’re surprised to see me asking for help in this way, or, for that matter, help at all. With that said, here’s a little bit of my history since being diagnosed with cancer and why I’m asking for some help.

I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in June of 2020. As horrible as that is, it’s not really an uncommon thing anymore. Stage 4 right off the bat, but I had the tools and most of the resources to fight back with a hope of success. I was lucky enough to be employed with great insurance, with an excellent out of state medical team that could provide the level of care I couldn’t find locally.

Then, very suddenly and only a few months ago, the other shoe dropped. My spouse, who provides the lion’s share of our income, unfortunately had to find different employment which impacted our finances in a fairly moderate way. No benefits, though. Ok, not that big a deal, we tighten the belt until better times.

Then, from what I can tell, a giant steel toed boot, complete with a giant sized foot attached fell out of the heavens right on top of yours truly. A few weeks before Christmas, I lost my employment. Our medical insurance. My share of the house income. And I was scheduled for radiation therapy in Phoenix, AZ starting the day after Christmas, with a 6 week minimum footprint. That’s almost complete, as of this writing, but the road doesn’t end here. After radiation is complete, there’s a very excellent chance that I will undergo at least two more surgeries, maybe some more radiation, and, just for fun, some chemotherapy too. The result of that is that I will be unable to physically work until at least Fall 2023, and that’s if everything proceeds with zero defects, delays, or further acts of giant shoes.

COBRA insurance is the option I have (either that, or pay out of pocket, and, since I’m actually sharing all this, I don’t even have pockets to pay out of), and, while I’m lucky to have the option, it’s not inexpensive. Yes, I’ve looked in to other insurance options. No, the medical facility where I’m being treated won’t accept any of the options I can afford. I can’t switch hospitals now, as I’m squarely in the fight of my life, and can’t just stop treatment and start over somewhere else. Cancer doesn’t give time outs.

Now, what I do have is a good attitude about my disease, and a body healthy enough for now to withstand the treatments to fight this thing. That’s my plan — to fight through this, live, and be a productive human. I just need a little help to dig myself and my family out of this terrible disease pit that I’m at the bottom for now.

Your help will, simply, allow me to stay in the fight and win. It’s funny that there has to be a “funding goal”, which, if you’ve gotten this far, you’ve seen. It’s a big number. Huge. At the same time, though, it’s a well thought out number based off of what I’ve calculated for insurance (as long as I’m eligible, which isn’t forever) as well as figures based off historical out of pocket costs for my treatment for the past couple years. And, finally, a little bit for conservative monthly expenses to keep the lights on.

Its a big ask, I know. If you can help, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If not, that’s ok, too.