Hello friends, This month marks 1) the five-year anniversary of Keith's brainstem stroke that left him unable to speak, eat or use his body, 2) five months since Keith's Merkel Cell Carcinoma diagnosis, and 3) the birth of our fifth grandchild (#6 is on the way). It's also my 50th birthday. We have never done any official fundraising because we formerly felt financially secure and had a lot of generous support from Keith's family, my family, a small circle of friends, and even some people we have never met. We are so thankful for this support. However, hundreds of thousands of dollars later, the bills continue to pile up. I have transitioned to being a full-time, unpaid caregiver with no way to earn an income. Edie and I traveled with Keith for almost a year following the stroke, living in hospitals and nearby hotels or apartments to support him and stay together as a family. Edie went to three kindergartens that year. We have been home since April 2024-- when the Covid threat was a real one for Keith. (Less than a week after we brought him home, there was a major outbreak at the facility in which he had been living-- talk about timing!!) My hope is that life will provide me the rest and space to write a book about our experiences someday. However, Keith has had many side effects from the cancer treatments, and this means many sleep-deprived weeks for me. There were some weeks recently in which we were providing ICU-level care out of our home. We had to discontinue immunotherapy because the side effects were so dangerous. He is tolerating radiation much better but he is so tired and deals with symptoms mimicking a cold and/or the flu. Despite the fact Keith has not been able to move his body, talk, or eat for 5 years, his spirits are amazing. He has such a will to live and faith in God. It is mind-blowing. He is a testament to the value of life. Your donation would allow us to have more paid help in the home so I can be a wife and not just a caregiver. It would give me more time to mother my sweet 10-year-old Edie. It would give me the opportunity to say yes to hanging out with friends and to take better care of myself. It would give me the rest to be a better caregiver, wife, and mom. Maybe I can start being a daughter, a sister, and a friend again. Maybe I can start being a grandmother and a stepmother. Your donation would also pay for a new bed for Keith--Medicare absolutely refuses to get him one that the doctors recommend. Because of this, we have been fighting bed sores on top of all the other personal insults his body endures. Your donation would also help us secure a new(er) van-- the one we have isn't all that safe for Keith because of the size of his power wheelchair. We have other things to be thankful for. * Insurance finally approved a new speaking device for him. God willing, Keith will be texting with friends and "talking" to us again soon. He is able to do this by using his eyes to type on a computer screen. He was getting proficient but the computer was so old and clunky, he started avoiding it altogether. It was simply too frustrating when it could no longer read his eyes properly. We have not had a conversation in months-- just a series of yes/no questions to determine his needs and the state of his heart and mind. How I long to communicate with him on a deeper level again! * Edie is thriving in school and in sports. There are individuals at her school and in our neighborhood who provide me with an additional layer of parenting support. *Our ADA remodel is almost coming to a close. I do not recommend trying to manage a remodel while also being a full-time mom and caregiver. It's been a saga! Please consider helping us out --if you'd buy me a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or lunch for my birthday, you could do it virtually here. Or, if you heart moves you to contribute more, we wholeheartedly and humbly welcome your generosity. Please know that when I'm in the position to do so, I always pay it forward. Although I've been somewhat obsessed with making life "more comfortable" for my husband, at heart I'm a gal who doesn't need many things to be happy. How funds will be used: 1) Pressure-alternating, low-air loss mattress with lateral turning for wound care/healing and respiratory support, 80" x 42" (Protekt 7000): $3,800. 2) High-low, fully electric bed, 84" x 42" plus 4" mattress extender: $7,500. 3) Time off for Travis: $25/hour (note: state of WA provides 18 hours of respite care a month at no charge to us). With love and hugs, Travis
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