Hi, my name is Andrea. I am the wife of Bill who was recently diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of his left vocal cord. He was immediately admitted for a tracheostomy due to difficulty breathing and breathing obstruction. We did not see this coming, any of it. We are now faced with our new reality, a life we would never imagine. A whisper through a trach replaced his booming laugh, but the love in his eyes still shines through. We have two small sons, ages 4 years old and 10months. Our 4-year-old asks if they’ll take it away, our 10-month-old cries when daddy leaves for treatment. He misses rough-housing, they miss their daddy. It breaks their heart when daddy leaves because they are afraid daddy will not come back.
Cancer brought more than silence. Stroke. Vision loss. Financial burdens. He has been admitted 4x in the last 2 months. The last admission, we found out he had a stroke. He is having all of the complications from treatment we knew nothing about; stroke, facial swelling, severe leg lymphedema, and most of all the mental decline.
Before cancer, Bill was a hard worker who provided for us. Now I am the provider trying to keep us afloat as I take care of him, our two sons, I work fulltime, I am in nursing school, and lastly remembering to take care of myself. This mama is tired, but hope keeps me going.
As his cancer diagnosis was a surprise to us, so is being financially unstable. Any help, big or small, becomes a hand to hold on this difficult journey. We need help with medical bills, travel costs, school supplies, and a safe home.
Help us rewrite our story, one whisper of kindness at a time.
With love and gratitude,
Andrea & Family