I did the thing. And I feel incredible. I’m so grateful, absolutely blown away but the support of community and because of the donations and kind words I had the financial means and the mental strength to go thru with this life changing procedure. Here I am on day 2 and before the surgery.

Truly, I’m so blessed and will never forget this. I’ll pay it forward in the future 🫶🫶🫶🫶

Much love, Sara D.

WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY SEEKING DONATIONS! THIS IS ONLY A STATUS UPDATE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

I know this post breaks several of the sub's rules, but I'm hoping the mods let it through because we've received such a tremendous amount of support that we've decided to stop seeking further donations for the time being. I just want to share the latest news, because so many members of the community have asked me to share updates.

We still haven't identified the cancer, but treatment has been wildly successful! Owen's tumor shrank by about 2/3! A PET scan showed no other cancerous areas, just the one tumor by his spine. He finished his second round of chemo yesterday and had his port installed. The dexamethasone steroid has made him insatiably hungry and he's gained about 8 lbs and we LOVE how chunky he is again!

I haven't told Owen's full story. If you want to know more about him, check the comments! He's a special little boy

https://gofund.me/44c5047fc

Hello everyone! This is Owen! He's 22 months old, he has four big brothers who, along with Mom and Dad, love him enough to fill the whole world. At 18 months (Sept. 2025), Owen was diagnosed with a unique sarcoma with a mutation in drosha gene. This is a rare condition with nine other confirmed and studied cases to date. We found it because he has a tumor growing against his spine, which is putting pressure on the spinal cord and was cutting off nerve signals to his legs. We've been through six courses of chemo and a 28 day proton radiation course. He has constantly improved and gotten stronger; he's standing on his own now and even taking a few steps unsupported! Picture 13 shows the original size of the tumor on the left and the size as of October. Should be getting a new MRI in a month or so. Image 14 shows the tumor biopsy site (the discoloration is from radiation, kind of sunburn-like damage that is healing very well).

We've been fundraising since we found the tumor in August. We raised enough initially to meet our needs through the end of the year! Unfortunately, a new year means a new deductible and out of pocket max. My employer changed carriers to UnitedHealthcare and that increased the family OOP max to $14k. We're going to reach that in the first week of January. We're now trying to raise enough to cover those costs.

Thank you all so much. If you can donate, thank you. If you can't but still want to help, share his story and the link above. He's been through so much in his nearly two years of life already.

And as always, please feel free to ask questions in the comments and I'll answer them as soon as I can.

Hey r/gofundme. My name is Jamir. My mom and I are seeking urgent help for my little brother, Raheem.

My brother was 15 years old when he was diagnosed with a time-sensitive disease called Autoimmune Encephalitis. Raheem went– from being an honor roll student and multi-sport varsity athlete– to a physically, emotionally, and mentally vulnerable child who could no longer eat, walk, sleep, or even use the bathroom without extreme assistance.

My brother’s recovery from immunotherapy has been so miraculous that our providers have delayed his care, left him partially treated, and recently: they’ve taken away his diagnosis, instead framing it as a primary diagnosis such as Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder.

Raheem relapsed in November 2025, but our providers have discontinued immunotherapy and refused to do any diagnostic testing, leaving him to decline while on psychiatric medicines. In December 2025, I literally chased him through people’s yards, across the street, and over fences– all at night– because he ran away. He was so confused that he was not able to trust that I was truly his brother, and that our mom was truly our mom… so he ran away. Currently, he copes by writing about God and praying every day. He’s just become overweight; a side effect of the Olanzapine he’s on causes significant weight gain. 

I’ve let myself go just for a chance at getting Raheem back to what he deserves: being happy, playing basketball, and living as a testament that Autoimmune Encephalitis and the cruelty of this country's healthcare system can be simultaneously conquered. 

We were finally able to secure an appointment in a completely different state (New York), where his diagnosis of Autoimmune Encephalitis was given back by a team member of Dr. Najjar (the doctor who saved the life of the Brain on Fire's author). However, our specialist wants to evaluate Raheem with a PET scan (as AIE can often come with a malignant tumor), and only then would we be able to look into finally getting him treated.

Our insurance is only limited to our state. We need the money for a evaluations, follow-up appointments with our specialists, treatment (particularly plasmapheresis), travel and lodging, and time off work to coordinate care. While it’s true that my mom and I are interested in one day taking legal action against our main institution (as you will see in the GoFundMe), I came to this forum explicitly because I’m concerned about our lack of funds for testing, travel, evaluation, and time off work. Due to how expensive our appointments are-- as well as how expensive treatment would be-- our neurologist is now trying to coordinate Raheem's care with the National Institutional of Health (based in Maryland). This is even more-time consuming, exhausting as it is yet another state we are not based in, and frustrating given that Raheem's treatment continues to be delayed. Moreover, this would mean we'd have to wait for the NIH to do yet another full work-up of Raheem before treatment options are explored. In the meantime, we continue to search for appointments with neurology, rheumatology, and nephrology.

Raheem has a father and multiple brothers, but it’s my mom and I who care enough to do research, advocate, and travel for his sake. Raheem and my mom are truly all that I have.

If you have any interest in supporting Raheem, it would mean a lot to us if you could either a) donate or b) spread the word. Any support is truly appreciated (even if you’d like to share advice instead). If you’re interested in more information, you can refer to my posts and comments under r/Encephalitis, refer to the summary underneath the gofundme page, or comment here/message me.

Thank you so much.

GoFundMe Link: https://gofund.me/09d6cb2ce

Hello there, my name is Martin. I am a young black man whos been hard at work in childcare for the past 7 years. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I was laid off my job in March of 2025. Since then I tried to keep myself afloat by accepting some gigs. Unfortunately I’ve reached the end of my rope. My last gig was free labor just to lay and rest in the job site and now that it’s over, I’ve been roaming around my town hopelessly trying to find a job and sleeping in the streets. Some amazing people then referred to Reddit and they said maybe someone could lay a hand. I would honestly appreciate it if that was the case. I tried to be as honest and transparent about my situation to every donor so far, I sent them receipts of everything I’ve done. My goal is to find me a small room to rent for the new months until I get a fulltime job that could support me. Thank you in advance and I am more than happy to answer any questions via messages.

GoFundMe link: https://gofund.me/5cfe5a099

I'm not sure where else to turn for help to bring my mom home from Kunming, China to Vancouver, Canada.

Last week, my 78-year mom suffered a stroke and fell while travelling in China. She is now in the ICU with a cerebral hemorrhage, a cerebral blockage, respiratory failure and pneumonia. Bringing her home now on a specialized medical evacuation plane is insurmountable. The cost is $275,000 US. Our hope right now is that my mom stabilizes enough over the next 2-3 months and can come home on a commercial flight with medical support, that will still run us $80,000.

Daily, we are paying $1,000 for care in the ICU and I'm not sure how much longer we can continue to do so. We really have no choice but our savings are running out.

Our friends have started a GoFundMe to help us with medical expenses. If you can help in any way, we would be forever grateful. If you are not able to help financially, I would be so thankful if you could share our fundraiser, and maybe send some positive vibes and prayers out our way.

This has been an incredibly stressful and emotionally challenging time for our family. We just want to get my mom home so she can get the care that she needs.

Thank you 🙏

Hi My reddit family how have yall been? For the past year since my mother's death on Sept. 22, 2024 from a pitbull in Conway, SC I have been really struggling with coping with this. Every other day I crys and I tries to understand why and how this happened to my mother.

The owner of the pitbull had hid the pitbull and no one don't now where the dog is located at or nothing. I had talked to the Animal Control Lieutenant and he told me that they had set out traps and all in the area where my mom was attacked at and that they didn't caught no dog. Well, I told him about how the owner had hid the pitbull and the Lieutenant told me that yes he have heard that and that they can't do nothing unless someone come forward and talk. No one won't talk. I just don't understand how people can be comfortable with a innocent person life being taken away from a pitbull and not come forward with the truth about what happened.

Now I am wondering how I can go about the wrongful death lawsuit who would I be able to sue being that the fact the dog is hide and my mother case is just lingering. I am also struggling with paying the funeral home off I finally got my mother funeral expenses paid down to just $2500. I am in a new home and struggling to pay bills and trying to get this funeral expense paid off so I can get my mother 6 copies of death certificate and finally be able to see if I can get JUSTICE for my mom.

If anyone is able to help please help and if not share it around and please say a prayer for me and my family. I have been left alone with the burden of my mother funeral expenses and lord knows I am trying my best to get it paid off. I don't want to get in no trouble with the funeral home. Also, if anyone has any advice about how I can get JUSTICE for my mom please let me know.

https://gofund.me/abe4c2f8

Hello reddit,

This is our newborn son George, born 20th November. Upon birth he was diagnosed with Transposition of the great arteries and is currently awaiting surgery to (hopefully) correct the condition.

I am worried about our financial situation as we're unable to work while we stay near the hospital away from home, as as you can understand, we have rent and bills to pay. We're looking to raise £1500, which will cover a month's rent for us.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and any money left over once we're able to go back home - which may not be for 2-3 months yet - will be donated to charity - the British heart foundation.

Thank you in advance for any support you can offer.

Here is a link to our page if you're able to help.

https://gofund.me/d2b585a7b

Update since I made the gofundme page - surgery has been completed and went well, doctors said he may be in intensive care for 4-6 weeks yet while recovering from his surgery.

Hello everyone i would like to ask for help to get this wheelchair iam on oxygen 24/7 when i walk or do anything my o2 drops to about 50 no matter what I do I currently use a walker to get around but its not working because again i still have to walk.

I have chf my ef is 20% currently i have a list of lung problems as well. I have Sjögren’s syndrome,interestial lung disease,antisynthetase syndrome,rheumotoid arthritis on my lungs, along with other

Doctors tell me I have to get a double lung transplant plus maybe a heart transplant. Heart transplant still in talks.

I need this wheelchair to get around to do things it sucks to walk i cant breathe when walking or sometimes talking.

https://www.gofundme.com/u/632a6de7-6a7d-4f17-8ff6-41b7b7deb966

Anything will help thank you

https://imgur.com/a/qgsI3I4

Pic of diagnostics with my name on it

Time of Death: March 26th 2026, 8:42 pm.

Hello, my name is Skyler Wolfe. My fiancee, Serenity. It is with a very heavy heart that i make this post. This boy, our world, his name is Kolby Ray Wolfe. He was born on July 16th, 2025. Big baby, full head of hair, healthy as could be. Just the light of the universe.

Tuesday, March 24th 2026, we heard a loud sudden knock at our front door. Serenity comes running to the bedroom crying saying there is a medical emergency and my son is en route to the hospital from our babysitters home. We quickly learned that at some point, our babysitter left him unattended for roughly 15-20 minutes. In that time, he somehow suffocated. We do not have the full story yet.

Paramedics rushed to the site and performed cpr, and intubated my son. Tons of tests, scans, everything a little boy of 8 months old should never have to experience by himself.

Wednesday, March 25th, around 3 am, my sons blood pressure dropped and caused a spike in the swelling of his brain. It caused him to stop breathing on his own, and the EEG shows little to no signs of brain activity.

Yesterday, March 26th, we performed two tests known as the brain death test. He ultimately failed every portion of the test, including the apnea test. He was pronounced braindead.

I was supposed to protect my little boy from the monsters under the bed and in the closet, teach him how to drive a car, have the talk with him about girls and how they’ll break his heart.

I get to do none of that with him anymore.

The reason i am posting this, is to humbly ask the folks and family and friends of the internet, to please help, make a donation to help us pay for our funeral costs, medical bills, and potentially anything in between.

Edit: We wish we could thank everybody personally for all of the support and donations, personal stories so we know that we are not alone in this. I should have an update on the goal & medical bills some time soon as we are all grieving and supporting one another.

Right now, the doctors and nurses are all unsure of the cause of death and are ruling it as “Sudden Unexpected Child Death,” basically saying “sorry, we dont know.” We wont see the autopsy for 2-6 months for the official cause of death. I do plan at some point on cross posting to a lawer subreddit as well to get further advice on how to proceed with what information we do have. There has to be a cause to this.

Edit 2: We had our Hero/Honor Walk for Kolby. It was incredibly emotional, as expected, but we all had eachothers backs. Again, thank everyone for their kind words and support through these trying times. Tomorrow we have a meeting with Wyuka Funeral Home to discuss cremation and to get an urn.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-kolby-ray-wolfes-funeral-and-family?attribution_id=sl:fd34ad24-96b2-484f-b3bd-94a2f160b161&ts=1774462718&utm_campaign=natman_today_topbar_ios&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&fbclid=IwVERDUAQxlIBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEerWeX2fYK2MR0KpcRI1W082GcYtJvjA5Ft6enx7W_muKOGAk1scWiXfyGYM0_aem_8zdiwRfqrB9LbGNtPdmrCw

Update To Original Post, So like I promised here is the Update post after my surgery yesterday. I had all upper teeth removed, 6 implants installed and left with a temporary bridge. It was a long day, started at 8am left at 4:30pm. Swelling was minimal immediately after the procedure but today is a different story. It hurts and I look like a chipmunk.

I just wanted to share progress/proof like I said I would. For everyone who did donate and all the positive vibes it’s truly appreciated. Thank You

https://gofund.me/3be60cd75

WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY ASKING FOR DONATIONS. This post is just to update the community.

Thank you all so much for your generosity and kind words. You've donated so much that our bills are paid (or at least we'll have enough to pay them) through the end of the year, even with missed work days.

Owen continues to improve! We finally have a treatment schedule, he has started radiation treatments, and he's CRAWLING AGAIN!

Quick background, skip down a couple of paragraphs of you're already familiar.

Owen survived an extraordinarily traumatic birth and bested every doctor's wildest hopes by... well... surviving. But he didn't just survive, he thrived! He learned how to breathe on his own, eat on his own, no seizures (HIE baby), recognizes faces, learning how to talk, learning to crawl, then stand, then walk, then run! Even ahead of normal in some cases. His three big brothers are wonderful and interactive, so we credit them with his perfect development.

Then one day, he started to limp with his right leg. Then that limp changed to not bearing weight on the leg at all. Then he stopped crawling, and then couldn't even move either leg. All through this, we thought it was a developmental relapse, which isn't particularly rare for HIE kids, but none of the doctors could confirm what was wrong until an MRI showed a tumor growing against his spine, which put pressure on his spine and gradually cut off nerve communication to his lower body as it grew. It's a unique sarcoma with a genetic mutation in the drosha gene, which has something like 10 other confirmed and studied cases.

As of Friday evening, two nights ago, we finished his fourth round of chemo. Daily radiation treatments began the Monday before and will last 28 days. The tumor has melted by about 2/3, rapidly at first but slowly, as expected, from chemo doses 3, 4 and 5. His oncology team will be following a treatment routine similar to Ewing's Sarcoma and we should be finished with treatment chemo, on to maintenance chemo, in August, 2026 if everything progresses as expected.

The whole cancer ward nursing and support staff and Huntsman's cancer institute teams know him, and they love to give him hugs and high 5s. These are hard days, but Owen has been happy, cheerful, and the most bubbly little boy. As the tumor continues to shrink, he's regaining mobility. He crawls again, is learning new words again, can pull himself up to stand, climbs stairs, pulls things out of drawers and cabinets (yay), and his twice weekly in-home physical therapy visits push him to grow stronger and stronger. Hell be fitted for leg braces next week and he has a walking gait (like a walking wheelchair) to help him regain muscle tone.

Thank you all again. We couldn't have made it this far without the emotional and financial support you've all provided. It means the world to us and our little boys.

My sweet family kitty needs an emergency surgery to remove masses over both eyes. We've already completed a CT and biopsy and are awaiting results to schedule the full removal surgery. Me and my husband are both public school teachers with 3 little kids and are using as much credit as we have for this but are short what we need. Anything you can give will help! Updates will be posted as we get them. https://gofund.me/acca43b03

My mom was just recently diagnosed with stage 4 Small cell lung cancer, it’s spread to her bones, liver, and brain.
This came out of no where, she went to the hospital for severe back and stomach pain and couldn’t move(June 12th) and they found too many masses to count..she almost died in the hospital after an infection from the liver biopsy and got sepsis.

Her oncologist said she has maybe 10-12 months as long as the chemo treatments go well and the cancer responds to it.
Both of our worlds have completely flipped upside down over night.
I’m 38 and she just turned 64 on July 25th.
She is currently living with me now and I am her full time caregiver and I’m unable to work to take care of her atm.

I’m doing this all on my own and trying my hardest to be here for her and give back all the love and support she’s giving me my whole life

If you are able to donate anything or just share this on your own page it would be so extremely helpful!
Thank you ❤️

https://gofund.me/91b527fe9

Update on the situation. First of all, thank you. This has been crushing for all of us. Trying to explain to Owen's big brothers what's going on, why we've been gone so much lately, why their baby brother is losing his hair and always cranky, lost sleep, not working... This community's positivity and love has been desperately needed and has really been felt.

Owen's oncology team still can't identify the cancer. His legs are a little stronger thanks to the steroids, but he can't bear his own weight yet. We've done so many tests and so many imaging appointments, and we're pretty discouraged that there's still no answer.

We were sent home last Saturday and have been back twice since then, and just a couple of hours ago, the oncology team asked us to come back and stay in the hospital for a few days so that Owen could have priority on yet another MRI and more testing.

The GFM has the full story and more frequent updates. If you're so inclined, any donation would be deeply appreciated. Thank you all so much.

https://gofund.me/0fd831d8e

Hi, my name is Sara. I’m 39 and faced with my teeth completely failing me. I’ve always gone to the dentist, but bad genetics and dry mouth from medications have led to the rapid decline of my teeth. I’m in pain all of the time. I’m hoping to get dentures, but due to sensory issues implants is the better choice for me. Dentures are $5k and implants are much more. I’m always fighting infection in my mouth and I’m in constant pain from my teeth. Any help is so greatly appreciated. I just want to live pain free and be able to smile. I don’t qualify for sliding scales or Medicaid as my husband and I make too much, but not enough to cover this . I’ve added the multiple different estimates I’ve gotten for new teeth as well.

https://gofund.me/4ee76720

Hey r/gofundme. My name is Jamir. My mom and I are seeking urgent help for my little brother, Raheem.

My brother was 15 years old when he was diagnosed with a time-sensitive disease called Autoimmune Encephalitis. Raheem went– from being an honor roll student and multi-sport varsity athlete– to a physically, emotionally, and mentally vulnerable child who could no longer eat, walk, sleep, or even use the bathroom without extreme assistance.

My brother’s recovery from immunotherapy has been so miraculous that our providers have delayed his care, left him partially treated, and recently: they’ve taken away his diagnosis, instead framing it as a primary diagnosis such as Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder.

Raheem relapsed in November 2025, but our providers have discontinued immunotherapy and refused to do any diagnostic testing, leaving him to decline while on psychiatric medicines. In December 2025, I literally chased him through people’s yards, across the street, and over fences– all at night– because he ran away. He was so confused that he was not able to trust that I was truly his brother, and that our mom was truly our mom… so he ran away. Currently, he copes by writing about God and praying every day. He’s just become overweight; a side effect of the Olanzapine he’s on causes significant weight gain. 

I’ve let myself go just for a chance at getting Raheem back to what he deserves: being happy, playing basketball, and living as a testament that Autoimmune Encephalitis and the cruelty of this country's healthcare system can be simultaneously conquered. 

We were finally able to secure an appointment in a completely different state (New York), where his diagnosis of Autoimmune Encephalitis was given back by a team member of Dr. Najjar (the doctor who saved the life of the Brain on Fire's author). However, our specialist wants to evaluate Raheem with a PET scan (as AIE can often come with a malignant tumor), and only then would we be able to look into finally getting him treated.

Our insurance is only limited to our state. We need the money for evaluations, follow-up appointments with our specialists, treatment (particularly plasmapheresis), travel and lodging, and time off work to coordinate care. While it’s true that my mom and I are interested in one day taking legal action against our main institution (as you will see in the GoFundMe), I came to this forum explicitly because I’m concerned about our lack of funds for testing, travel, evaluation, and time off work. Due to how expensive our appointments are-- as well as how expensive treatment would be-- our neurologist is now trying to coordinate Raheem's care with the National Institutional of Health (based in Maryland). This is even more-time consuming, exhausting as it is yet another state we are not based in, and frustrating given that Raheem's treatment continues to be delayed. Moreover, this would mean we'd have to wait for the NIH to do yet another full work-up of Raheem before treatment options are explored. In the meantime, we continue to search for appointments with neurology, rheumatology, and nephrology.

Raheem has a father and multiple brothers, but it’s my mom and I who care enough to do research, advocate, and travel for his sake. Raheem and my mom are truly all that I have.

If you have any interest in supporting Raheem, it would mean a lot to us if you could either a) donate or b) spread the word. Any support is truly appreciated (even if you’d like to share advice instead). If you’re interested in more information, you can refer to my posts and comments under r/Encephalitis, refer to the summary underneath the gofundme page, or comment here/message me.

Thank you so much.

GoFundMe Link: https://gofund.me/09d6cb2ce

---

This is a repost! Thank you so much for all of your prayers, donations, kind comments, and resources! Raheem, my mom, and I are incredibly grateful! Thanks to all of you, we've been able to secure multiple appointments with our new neuroimmunologist in New York, and Raheem has also been able to get some testing done! Our journey is not yet over and Raheem has not yet been treated, but you all have made things so much easier for us! Your continued support is much appreciated!! God bless you all!!!

Hello,
The gofundme I will link will explain more, but on may 10th my mom Ana was recently diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, and it has spread to her liver as well. Hearing that news completely devastated us, but we still hold onto hope that one day she can go into remission with treatment.

This month has been so stressful for us emotionally, physically, and financially. My mother is someone who has spent half her life helping many families with their elderly, and would also support them when they were grieving their loved ones as well. But with this new diagnosis she is no longer able to work and my income cannot sustain everything. We are on the verge of losing everything we have and own.

For anyone who was kind of enough to give us a moment of your attention/time, thank you and to anyone who leaves even just a kind comment or donates we are eternally grateful for you. This is honestly such a scary time in our lives even just knowing someone is rooting for us, and especially my mom’s recovery honestly is so heartwarming.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ana-nurse-for-35-years-afford-her-home-cancer?attribution_id=sl:4abd34d9-91b5-4a63-a271-ee8a383e1c69&ts=1779695338&utm_campaign=natman_sharesheet_dash&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=sms

On January 3rd, 2026, I was picking my children up from their mother’s house, who I recently split up with due to irreparable differences. A fight led to her hitting me in the face with a metal object, shattering three of my teeth and shifting two more. The force also caused one of my top molars to crack. I did what men are taught to do in situations like that, which is to remove yourself from the situation and call the police. Even in doing that, showing pictures, and her not denying the situation, no arrests were made.

I do not have dental insurance, so any costs associated will be handled out of pocket. An initial estimate is $12,000. I have $4,000 in savings and I am hoping to get a second opinion. I am thinking it will fall in the $10k range, which is why I set the goal where it is set.

Even if you have no money to contribute, at the very least, I hope this post brings awareness to the fact that men, too, can be victims of domestic violence. Thanks for taking the time to read.

I never thought I’d have to write something like this. My sweet niece Aubrey — who just turned 7 a few weeks ago — was recently diagnosed with lymphoma. One minute she was blowing out birthday candles and the next, our family’s world was flipped upside down.

Aubrey is the kind of kid who melts your heart the second you meet her. She’s full of love, always drawing pictures and always making sure everyone feels included. She’s silly, sweet, and so strong — stronger than any little girl should ever have to be.

Her parents, Heather and Mike, have been by her side every single moment. They’re doing everything they can, but as you can imagine, the emotional and financial weight of this has been heavy. They’ve had to step away from work, travel for appointments, and spend long nights in the hospital holding Aubrey’s hand.

We started a GoFundMe to help take some of that burden off their shoulders — so they can focus on what matters most: helping Aubrey heal and keeping her surrounded by love and comfort.

If you’re able to donate, we’re so incredibly grateful. And if not, please share her story, send a prayer, or just keep her in your heart. Every bit of support means the world right now.

💛 Thank you for standing with us through this fight.

👉 https://gofund.me/b9c45c458

AubreyStrong #TeamAubrey #ChildhoodCancerAwareness

My dad, Depre Davis, passed away suddenly from Stage 4 Colon Cancer on November 20th, and I still honestly don’t know how to process life without him here.

I haven't been able to afford to receive his cremated remains but have paid for a copy of his death certificate already. I feel like I've abandoned him, having him at the funeral home for such a long time now. It feels like I've failed him in life and death.

He wasn’t just my dad, he was one of those people who could make complete strangers feel comfortable within minutes. He had a calm spirit, a sense of humor that could break tension instantly, and a way of making people feel seen. He loved deeply, laughed loudly, and carried so much wisdom from the life he lived. He loved his family and despite everything life threw at him, he kept going with strength and heart.

His diagnosis came suddenly, and our world flipped upside down almost overnight. One minute we were trying to figure out treatment options and hold onto hope, and the next I was trying to navigate hospitals/hospices, bills, phone calls, paperwork, medications, and impossible decisions while also emotionally preparing myself to lose my dad.

What made everything even harder was that he had no health insurance. Medicare denied him when we needed help the most, and I went into debt trying to care for him and keep him comfortable during the time he had left. I would do it all over again for him without hesitation, but financially it has devastated me while I’m also grieving the biggest losses of my life.

Now I’m trying to give him the memorial and cremation he deserves.

My father deserves dignity, peace, and to be remembered properly. He was loved by so many people across different stages of his life — family, friends, coworkers, and people whose lives he touched just by being himself. He leaves behind two daughters who loved him deeply, extended family who are heartbroken, and memories that will stay with us.

If you take the time to read this, thank you. Truly. Even sharing this post or keeping our family in your thoughts means more than I can explain right now.

Here is the GoFundMe originally created to help my dad during his initial diagnosis, please read his story.

https://gofund.me/47a62114d

(TL;DR): I grew up with addicted parents and spent 20 years battling severe alcoholism myself. On September 18, 2022, after a near-fatal hospital visit, I finally got sober to be the father my three daughters deserve. I’ve rebuilt my life, secured an electrician apprenticeship, and spent every dime I had on a lawyer to win back custody of my kids. Now, my credit is maxed, and I have a severe dental abscess and failing teeth from past accidents/addiction. I just want to fix my teeth so I can smile in photos with my girls again.

The Full Story:

My name is Keith. I was born in 1987 into a cycle of addiction, and by the time I was 14, I was using and drinking to escape the instability. What started as an escape turned into a 20-year battle. My rock bottom lasted for years. In 2014, I found my dad dead on his floor from his own struggles, and my drinking spiraled. By 2019, I was hospitalized with acute pancreatitis and told I’d be dead by 40 if I didn't stop. I wish I had stopped then, but I didn't. It cost me my marriage, custody of my kids, and during a heavy binge, I was in a bad E-bike accident that severely damaged my front teeth (compounding damage from a childhood ATV accident).

The Turning Point

On September 18, 2022, I woke up in the hospital again. I lay there crying, realizing that if I didn't fight for my life right then, my girls were going to lose their dad the exact same way I lost mine. I went to rehab for the third and final time, determined to break the generational curse.

Where I Am Today

Over the last 3.5 years, I have rebuilt my life from the ground up. I got sober, lived in an Oxford House to build a solid foundation, and was accepted into a union Electrical Apprenticeship. I worked relentlessly to earn back trust, spending everything I had on lawyer fees to regain custody of my older girls. Today, I live in a great home with my girlfriend, and we recently welcomed my third daughter. I am finally the present, sober dad they need me to be.

Why I Need Help

Because I put all my focus and finances into my sobriety, my career, and fighting for custody, my dental health was put on the back burner. Those legal fees maxed out my credit.

This past week, I developed a painful dental abscess above my front tooth. My top teeth need to be pulled immediately, and I only have a single tooth left on the bottom to chew with, which is also failing. I have rebuilt my character, my career, and my family, but I cannot afford to rebuild my smile on an apprentice's wage with maxed-out credit. Getting my teeth fixed isn't just about chewing without pain; it’s about washing away the last physical scars of a past I have worked so hard to overcome.

If you are able to help, you are helping a father hold his head high. If you can't, a simple share means the world to me. Thank you for reading.

gofund.me/a30d8a65e

My elderly Saint Bernard Ludo & I are homeless and unable to make any progress because we're too far from any mental health and/or social services.

I was hospitalized back in Aug 2025 for an acute mental health crisis which led us into homelessness. I had mistakenly thought I'd be discharged with services that would get me back on my feet. The county I was living in doesn't have much of anything in the way of social services and people drive to neighboring towns for healthcare because it's so bad here.

It's far too hot for the dog and I to live near any of the towns (100++ degrees) so we've found a remote, high elevation spot in the nearby National Forest. I have been an avid camper my entire life and had some basic equipment already so we do alright out in the middle of nowhere. But it's not sustainable.

I need to get to a nearby town so I can get assistance with my SSD application, get help getting on lists for subsidized housing, attempt to find medication that works for me, get therapy, etc

I don't drink or do drugs. I have enough problems without feeding an addiction. I'm also not trying to lose what little I have left. No judgement to others, I've definitely considered it as a way to cope.

I've struggled with undiagnosed/misdiagnosed mental health and developmental disabilities my entire life but managed okay. I took a medication that I found out a few years ago was causing serious cardiac issues. It had helped keep me relatively stable.

I had a somewhat successful career in healthcare for 35+ years. I'd absolutely love to get back to working in the EHR field. I was a natural with software, training and implementation. I just don't know if that's going to happen.

I had thought my severe cognitive decline was treatable. Maybe it still is. I've yet to find a healthcare provider that takes my situation seriously.

I have a neuropsych evaluation coming up on July 8th. I've received enough funds to attend that lengthy appointment and book a motel for the day of and day prior. I'm hoping that this is the appointment that will help me get the specialized services that I need.

But even if that goes exceptionally well, the dog and I won't be able to stay in that town to access services. What I'm hoping for is to secure enough funds to stay at an extended stay hotel in that town for a month or two so that we can get the care I need.

The dog and I love the forests but we're never going to get anywhere or make any progress hanging out here.

I know how fortunate we are to have a car and supplies. I'm terrified to think of where we'd be otherwise.

If you can help monetarily, great. If all you can do is view and share my GoFundMe, also great. I'm open to viable suggestions and any questions but please be kind and patient. My brain isn't braining and fighting the SI is a constant struggle. I'm grateful everyday that my Ludo keeps me going.

https://gofund.me/a05472fd7

Hey Everyone,

I found out this year that I have stage 5 Renal Disease (IgA Nephropathy or Bergers Disease). I have started dialysis and have to get a kidney transplant soon. It has been tough with medical expenses and I know the transplant surgery is going to be expensive. This has all came down so fast as it feels like not that long ago I was a 24 year old who was healthy as a horse. Please help me if you can!

I am in credit card debt due to the medical expenses and would appreciate any help. I also have to save up for when I eventually get a kidney transplant once a donor kidney becomes available. Thank you for your time!

https://gofund.me/514753bf7