Jeff Cole

My name is Jeff Cole, and I never imagined I would be writing something like this. My medical journey began with what seemed like a minor car accident caused by another driver. I walked away thinking I was lucky. But the scans that followed uncovered a much more serious reality: 11 bulging discs, severe arthritic spurs, and spinal stenosis throughout my cervical spine. The damage was so extensive that I needed an emergency C3–C7 spinal fusion. That surgery saved my spinal cord — but it also changed my life. Half of my vocal cords became paralyzed, leaving me struggling to speak and causing food and liquid to slip into my airway. That aspiration led to pneumonia, an emergency room visit, and then the most devastating news of all: a cancer diagnosis. Today, I am in an intense fight — undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy while still recovering from major spine surgery and living with a paralyzed vocal cord. And as if that weren’t enough, doctors also discovered a pituitary adenoma — a tumor on my pituitary gland that has disrupted my hormones and blood counts and added another complex layer to my health battle. My biggest fear isn’t the fight itself. It’s making sure my wife is okay. It’s making sure we can keep up with the overwhelming medical bills and basic living expenses while I’m unable to work. We have done everything we can to stay afloat. We made it through 2025 — but 2026, with a new deductible and growing co-pays, feels frightening and uncertain. I’ve completed my first round of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Rounds two through four are still ahead. If you are able to support us, share our story, or keep us in your thoughts and prayers, it would mean more than I can express. Thank you for standing with us in the hardest chapter of our lives. — Jeff