Urgent Assistance for David and Kim Karrer

My name is Kim Karrer, and on behalf of my husband David, I am setting up a GoFundMe account to request your assistance. As the sole provider, I had to take a leave of absence from work to manage his urgent healthcare needs. This leaves us unable to pay for food, monthly bills, and other expenses. I urge you to learn more about David's courageous battle with cancer and its devastating effects by reading his story that follows.

David has had a long history battling multiple forms of cancer. As a young man, he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. His surgeons attempted to perform an ileostomy (a surgical procedure that creates an opening in the abdomen -- stoma -- bringing the small intestine to the surface). However, his surgeons concluded the cancer was too close to the rectum. They couldn't save his intestines and had to perform a total colectomy, which requires David to wear an ileostomy bag to take the place of his intestines.

In total, David endured 8 separate abdominal surgeries in this capacity.

At 38 years old, he was diagnosed with Esthesioneuroblastoma, which is a rare brain cancer. To date, he has had 4 brain surgeries to stop the spread of the cancer but submits to periodic MRI scans to monitor any resurgent activity.

On June 6th 2025, David lost his vision and reported internal bleeding. He was hospitalized immediately for further evaluation. His doctors concluded that David is now suffering from Ischemic Optic Neuropathy, which is a lack of blood flow to the back of the eye. We are waiting to obtain a brain MRI to further evaluate his prognosis.

Then, David was rushed to the ER June 12 for a gastro-intestinal (GI) bleed. Due to its severity, doctors diagnosed the event as a hemorrhage, which forced David to spend 4 days in the hospital for further evaluation. Once his condition stabilized, David was discharged, only to return 2 days later for additional GI bleeding that was captured in his ileostomy bag. After an additional 4 days in the hospital, doctors couldn't stop the bleeding, but simply "monitored" it. David has since been sent home but likely will not experience total vision recovery.

Thank You for reading David's story, and thank you for your consideration and support during these most difficult times. As you can imagine, David is trying to manage the physical and emotional challenges that cancer presents. Admittedly, David's condition is a hardship for me, too. I love him with all my heart, and am his biggest supporter and healthcare advocate, but I am only human. We desperately need your help.