My name is Jef Brunstetter and my partner is Mike Cohen.  We’ve been together for 24 years and live in Sonoma County in Northern California. 

In 2008 Mike was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.  It has been an uphill battle fighting the affects of this disease. But after 11 years of living with Parkinson’s, it has advanced to the point of greatly affecting his balance. Over the course of the last few months Mike has taken several falls, with the last fall fracturing his wrist and his L1 vertebrae in his lower back. This last fall has caused Mike to require physical therapy and Occupational Therapy. This has been a devastating blow to us.  

 As a result of recent events we have made the difficult decision that Mike can no longer be left alone.  I own my own business cleaning houses which requires me to leave the house for 6-8 hours a day. Recently, I have taken off the last two weeks to care for Mike, for which I was not getting paid for. We will need to hire attendants to care for him while I’m at work.  As you can imagine finding quality care is not easy, or cheap. We have found a company that we are comfortable with and we feel will give Mike the quality care he deserves. However, it comes at a cost. One week of care will cost $1200.00 and he will need to heal for at least three months. But as the disease progresses, he may continue to require on going care.  

With a price tag of nearly $5000 a month we are unable to sustain our current living situation. Fortunately, we have found a long-term solution. However, it requires us to leave Sonoma County, which Mike and I have called home for nearly 40 years and move halfway across the country to Texas to live with Mike’s son. 

Once we are in Texas, we will have the means to provide round the clock care for Mike. I will not have to work to cover the bills and we will have Mike’s Son and Daughter-in-law to assist with care. However, Mike needs to heal enough to travel before we can move. The current in-home care costs, plus the cost of moving to Texas has taken a great financial strain on us. We have exhausted all of our charitable options for financial aide and I have cashed out all of my assets to pay for Mike’s care and we are still stuck with a sizable bill for which we don’t have the means to pay. 

If you’re able to help us out, we’d really appreciate it.  Mike and I both are very independent people who find it hard to ask for help.  But sometimes life sends you something you’re not prepared for.  This is that time us. 

Thanks for listening.  Mike and Jef