Support for My Resilient Mother
Fighting Stage 3 Lung Cancer
This year has been one of the hardest on record for my family. On June 5, my brother River passed away. Not long after—in late July—my mom was diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer. She just finished several rounds of chemo and radiation simultaneously. Because treatment was intense, she's on unpaid FMLA, and the costs are piling up fast.
But there's more to the story. In the summer of 2024, my mom lost her partner Bill to cancer. They had built a life together, and losing him left a hole that words can't really fill. It's been a brutal, relentless stretch for her.
Right now, she's in New Hampshire, and just finished several rounds of treatment with my wonderful family of Jennifer, Sue and Olivia by her side. But that's going to change. Once she gets the greenlight from her care team, I'm flying out in January to bring her to the home Anna and I share in Minnesota. She's going to live with us for a few months while she heals and gets her strength back. We're going to take care of her the way she's always taken care of me.
The plan is to help her find senior housing here in the Twin Cities—something close by, affordable, and safe. Ideally, she'll be able to move into her own place in the spring, but we're taking it one step at a time. Right now, the focus is just getting her through treatment and getting her here.
This fundraiser will help cover:
- Insurance costs: deductible, co-pays, out-of-pocket max
- Treatment logistics: gas/parking for daily radiation, occasional lodging if needed, nutrition shakes, anti-nausea meds
- Lost income gap: essential bills (rent/mortgage, utilities, phone) while she can't work
- Moving expenses: flights to New Hampshire, shipping her belongings to Minnesota, temporary storage if needed
- Transition support: first/last month's rent and deposits for senior housing, helping her get settled in a new place
- Other treatment needs: prescriptions, home supplies recommended by her care team
I want to be very clear about something important: Plymouth State University started a GoFundMe for my brother after their car accident, and it was later converted into a memorial fund in their honor. That fund is separate and remains dedicated to covering River's end-of-life expenses that still continue to this day. This fundraiser is only for my mom's medical and living expenses while she undergoes treatment. We do not make this ask lightly and do not want it to seem like a cash-grab.
Transparency: I'll post updates regularly on how Mom is doing and how funds are used. We're also using GoFundMe's Beneficiary feature so donations go directly to her.
If you can give, thank you. If you can't, a share helps more than you know. Either way, your messages, prayers, and good thoughts are fuel for us. We're taking this one day, one appointment, one small victory at a time.
My mom has spent her whole life showing up for other people. Now it's our turn to show up for her. Thank you for being part of that.
Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference
With gratitude,
Josh