Hello, my name is Laura Schmidt, and I am raising funds to help pay for my brother Wayne's cancer treatments. Wayne was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue and throat cancer which has now metastasized into the lymph nodes in his neck.

Last summer, Wayne suffered debilitating kidney stones that put him out of work as an HVAC technician for 3 months. His recovery was brutal and took time away from, not only his work, but also his 10-year-old daughter. Thankfully, he recovered and was able to return to work, but a few months later, he noticed a growing lump in his neck. After consultations, testing and biopsies of the lump in his neck and a tumor in the back of his mouth, his doctors diagnosed him with tongue and throat cancer in its late stage and now needs immediate and aggressive radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

In the past, Wayne struggled with smoking and alcohol, but has won over that battle! I am so proud of him for overcoming those battles and committing to a sober life for over 13 years. He has been a wonderful uncle to both of my sons. He is a truly humble and kind person who can light up any room he enters.

Unfortunately, he is now faced with the biggest trial of his life. The harsh reality of trying to cover significant medical expenses for intense radiation and chemotherapy is overwhelming. His financial situation was impacted by last summer's bout with kidney stones, and now his ability to cover his medical payments for cancer treatments looks even grimmer. Needless to say, it has been a very difficult past few months for Wayne.

I am asking you to please consider donating, share this campaign to support my brother and I thank you in advance for your contributions. We greatly appreciate your thoughts, prayers and support during this very challenging time. I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart!