My name is Jakel Huntsberry. I’m 24 years old and the oldest son of Karen Huntsberry— a kind, loving, and compassionate soul, the single mother of four boys who has worked tirelessly all of her life to give us everything, completely on her own. In March of 2024, 9 days after her 48th birthday, my mom was diagnosed with stage 2A breast cancer. We were all completely taken aback by the news. The diagnosis pained us, it was a heavy burden for our family to bear. From the moment of her diagnosis to the date of this post, I have helplessly watched her struggle through rounds of chemotherapy and appointments with doctors. Her strength has long since left her body and it is absurd to pretend that she could hold any employment at this point. In July of 2024, despite how desperate our situation was becoming and her inability to support us, she was first denied both state and federal disability benefits. On top of the exhausting chemotherapy and uncertainty she’s facing, we suddenly have had to become experts on how to navigate a confusing, frustrating, and uncaring system. We filed an appeal and yet she continued to be denied. As of this post, she has not received any benefits and has sought legal action with a paralegal who filed for the case on June 28th of 2024. It’s been almost a year and a half since she was first diagnosed and despite our continuing appeals, my family has received no assistance. After burning through her savings at some point in early 2024, I became one of the sole sources of income within the household. My employment situation makes it a struggle to keep up with expenses. My current job is merely part-time hours with currently no full-time openings and finding another full-time job has been a struggle. As it stands, we are barely getting by by living paycheck to paycheck. Even then, sometimes it's just not enough. As the months continue and the bills continue to come, it’s become a constant struggle to keep my family afloat. While my mother prefers not to rely on others, we feel as if we've been pushed and have no other choice but to rely on the kindness of peers and strangers alike. Any amount you give will go directly towards paying off bills and providing my mom the peace of mind she needs to fight her disease. No amount is too small—every cent helps us go a little further. If you can’t give anything, it would mean everything to me if you would instead share this post with your friends and loved ones. We truly appreciate any help you can give.
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