Tom Leth Support Fund
Friends,
This past week, Tom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer with metastasis to the liver. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind as he went from having symptoms to testing to receiving this diagnosis in just 2-3 weeks. His oncologist has recommended an aggressive chemo regimen and Tom has jumped on board starting chemo on Dec 16th - just 3 days after hearing his doctor's recommendation.
Tom. Is. A. Fighter!
He is doing everything the docs tell him to do, taking what the cancer is throwing at him as well as the chemo. To say "It is a difficult road" is an understatement. This treatment is very expensive. Even with insurance, the first round of just the chemo meds totaled nearly $3000 out of pocket. SIX rounds of chemo are recommended which means $18,000 out of pocket - and this is only the chemo regimen. Obviously, there are other costs involved. Additionally, there are lost wages in the mix making the expenses even more overwhelming.
I am setting up this GoFundMe account to help with these out of pocket expenses. Tom is not one to ask for this type of assistance and he initially said no when I mentioned it. When we picked up the prescriptions last Friday, and the woman told us the total, Tom charged it then later agreed that the fund is a good idea. This and other costs add up quickly and any financial assistance you are able to provide will be very much appreciated and is certainly very needed. $3000 has already been billed and this cost will occur every 3 weeks so we are hoping to at least get $6000 by January 5th when he needs to pay for the next round of meds at the Kaiser pharmacy.
If you would like to support Tom & Tommy in other ways, please see the support site for updates and requests. Meals dropped at the house every other day will be helpful. (every day is too much). Foods such as casseroles, pot pies, soups and stews that are high in protein are probably best. I can provide updates on that when we see what works well. For those who don't know me, my name is Sharon and I have known Tom for 10 years. Our kids went to preschool together and we have kept in touch since. I am a Nurse Practitioner working in liver transplant and am familiar with this diagnosis and treatment. I live about 1/2 mile away from Tom & Tommy and have been helping him through this from the beginning of his symptoms. I am happy to answer questions if you would like to get in touch with me.
One thing Tom is not up to at the moment is unannounced visitors. Please see the Caring Bridge website for more info. There is contact information there.
Thank you, very sincerly.
It does indeed take a village. <3
