One of our very good friends wanted to hold a fundraiser raffle for David and asked me about it. We were touched she wanted to do this but also apprehensive for it to sound as if we were begging for money. We are weird like that. We decided in the same vein as letting people in, we would go ahead with this. She engaged a few other of our friends and classmates who were generous with their time and talents also. The raffle ran for a few weeks and the drawing was held this evening at our 30th High School Class Reunion. We appreciate everyone who helped sell tickets and secure the raffle prize. David and I did not attend due to his lowered immunity but we both were overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from the people we have known our entire lives to those we don’t know at all. This amazing effort goes a long way to help ease some of the financial burden people like us face with a cancer…. (Pop quiz: remember that word from way back in the beginning?) peregrination. On the heels of this raffle another dear friend is currently working on a silent auction event with proceeds going to David as well.
To be honest, I always try to give something to these types of fundraisers but also I never fully understood or gave much thought to the costs associated with cancer for things we never imagined. And yes, we have insurance but with all insurance there are premiums, deductibles, copays and out of pocket maximums. There are things they will pay and things they will not. There are approvals and denials and tons of time and energy keeping up with the whens and the wheres. There are losses of income from not being able to work, travel expenses, and additional supply expenses and pharmacy expenses, and labs, and scans, and surgeries, and genetic testing, and consultations, in some cases, specialty food expenses, and the list goes on. We were told that once we get to a place where the disease is stable, David will need scans every three months for the rest of his life. Have you priced a good MRI lately? Whew! If you don’t already know, I hope you never have to find out.
People have been so generous and caring and wonderful and we couldn’t be more grateful. So to Jennifer, Tracy, Barbie, Boone, Tim, and Tori, and to all of the people who donated to this family’s fight, thank you so very much from the deepest part of our hearts.
