Cancer Fund for John Walker
Donation protected
Hi. I'm writing this on behalf of my father, John, pictured above. And I am doing so because, after a long time of thinking my family could weather this storm alone, it has become untenable.
My father worked hard his whole life, and did everything he could to help put me in a place where I could do even better. He was diagnosed with a very early stage prostate cancer over three years ago, not long after he officially retired and almost immediately after my graduation from Arizona State University. Until recently, while it was an ever-present concern, the situation was not dire; his cancer was being managed successfully and progress was being made. But over the spring and summer, he began experiencing severe back pain without any obvious cause. This came with a host of other issues from minor swelling in the leg to general fatigue.
About a month ago they discovered why: he has another tumor, much larger, near (sort of behind, but not on) his right kidney.
Everything since then has been a whirlwind of issues and complications, and the pain became too much for him to be able to even walk short distances unassisted. Because of the pain and the medication for the pain, he hasn't been eating very well; he was always a bit on the skinny side, but now "gaunt" is probably closer to the mark. This brings its own set of issues also, from sodium deficiencies to other things I won't mention here.
At this point, he is at Banner Gateway hospital in Gilbert, AZ, about 20 miles away from our home. He will likely be there for some time. He is facing not only a more aggressive course of chemotherapy over the coming weeks and months, but also physical therapy to get his mobility and strength back, and that might just be the tip of the iceberg. It probably goes without saying that even with fairly decent coverage via Medicare and a supplemental policy - better than he would have had a few years ago - this still won't be at all cheap.
It's likely that his latest hospital stay will be long enough that he'll reach his coverage limits before he is physically ready to come home and be even remotely functional without assistance. This in turn also puts a lot of pressure - time, energy, money - on my mother and myself, since we are the only family still in Arizona. As such we have to balance working, housework, going to see Dad and arranging for everything he needs, and so on. It is not easy, nor will it be when he is able to come home, since he will still need assistance. And that is without even accounting for the added financial pressure of Dad's looming medical bills. We aren't people of means, and never have been; we don't have the resources to do it all at this point.
This is why we have decided to ask for your help in keeping afloat. Any small amount that you can give will be a bigger help than I can say. What funds we might receive will be prioritized for Dad's treatment and hospital stay first and foremost, as well as future chemo/physical therapy costs; the vast majority will be used for this purpose. If the budget permits, some small portion might also be used for things like gas money/other transportation costs for my mother and I, as well as other bills and expenses that might come up due to us helping Dad deal with his situation. That will give Mom and I a little less to worry about and a little more time and financial room to be there more for Dad, to make sure we can be at Banner Gateway as often as possible for him, and to be sure that when he comes home - and I do still believe it is a when, at this point - we don't have to choose between being available to help him and keeping the bills paid.
I have never been good at asking for help, and some of you out there that will see this page know this already. I resent having to. I wish I didn't; I wish he wasn't this sick, and I wish we had the ability to handle this all on our own and I didn't have to bother anyone. It kills me that it's so bad to the point where I feel like I have no choice. But I am asking for help, now, to all of you out there. Please give us a hand, because I honestly don't think we can do this alone. You don't have to give much. Even if you can't give anything at all, share this page with people who can.
My father worked hard his whole life, and did everything he could to help put me in a place where I could do even better. He was diagnosed with a very early stage prostate cancer over three years ago, not long after he officially retired and almost immediately after my graduation from Arizona State University. Until recently, while it was an ever-present concern, the situation was not dire; his cancer was being managed successfully and progress was being made. But over the spring and summer, he began experiencing severe back pain without any obvious cause. This came with a host of other issues from minor swelling in the leg to general fatigue.
About a month ago they discovered why: he has another tumor, much larger, near (sort of behind, but not on) his right kidney.
Everything since then has been a whirlwind of issues and complications, and the pain became too much for him to be able to even walk short distances unassisted. Because of the pain and the medication for the pain, he hasn't been eating very well; he was always a bit on the skinny side, but now "gaunt" is probably closer to the mark. This brings its own set of issues also, from sodium deficiencies to other things I won't mention here.
At this point, he is at Banner Gateway hospital in Gilbert, AZ, about 20 miles away from our home. He will likely be there for some time. He is facing not only a more aggressive course of chemotherapy over the coming weeks and months, but also physical therapy to get his mobility and strength back, and that might just be the tip of the iceberg. It probably goes without saying that even with fairly decent coverage via Medicare and a supplemental policy - better than he would have had a few years ago - this still won't be at all cheap.
It's likely that his latest hospital stay will be long enough that he'll reach his coverage limits before he is physically ready to come home and be even remotely functional without assistance. This in turn also puts a lot of pressure - time, energy, money - on my mother and myself, since we are the only family still in Arizona. As such we have to balance working, housework, going to see Dad and arranging for everything he needs, and so on. It is not easy, nor will it be when he is able to come home, since he will still need assistance. And that is without even accounting for the added financial pressure of Dad's looming medical bills. We aren't people of means, and never have been; we don't have the resources to do it all at this point.
This is why we have decided to ask for your help in keeping afloat. Any small amount that you can give will be a bigger help than I can say. What funds we might receive will be prioritized for Dad's treatment and hospital stay first and foremost, as well as future chemo/physical therapy costs; the vast majority will be used for this purpose. If the budget permits, some small portion might also be used for things like gas money/other transportation costs for my mother and I, as well as other bills and expenses that might come up due to us helping Dad deal with his situation. That will give Mom and I a little less to worry about and a little more time and financial room to be there more for Dad, to make sure we can be at Banner Gateway as often as possible for him, and to be sure that when he comes home - and I do still believe it is a when, at this point - we don't have to choose between being available to help him and keeping the bills paid.
I have never been good at asking for help, and some of you out there that will see this page know this already. I resent having to. I wish I didn't; I wish he wasn't this sick, and I wish we had the ability to handle this all on our own and I didn't have to bother anyone. It kills me that it's so bad to the point where I feel like I have no choice. But I am asking for help, now, to all of you out there. Please give us a hand, because I honestly don't think we can do this alone. You don't have to give much. Even if you can't give anything at all, share this page with people who can.
Organizer and beneficiary
Joel Walker
Organizer
Chandler, AZ
Linda Walker
Beneficiary
