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Culjat Care Fund

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A message from Massey & Kara:

Moving from out of state can be tough and I’m so lucky to have quickly been made the third daughter in The Culjat’s. They’re easily one of the most caring families I’ve ever met.  Here’s the thing- it’s no walk in the park when Mom & Dad are both battling their own illnesses. 

In 2011 Mom was diagnosed with secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis and was permanently bound to a wheelchair, cutting the family income in half & doubling Dad's workload.

In 2015 Dad got a transfer from North Liberty to Orlando. Three weeks after settling in to life in a new city, the family woke up to find mom unresponsive in bed. She was rushed to the hospital where a doctor couldn't even promise a 50/50 chance at surivival. She was in the ICU for 5 days, diagnosed with sepsis, underwent 3 procedures to drain her kidneys, and spent the next three weeks under heavy antibiotics to fight for her life against the infection.
After gettng relased from the hospital the family went through this again 6 months later and this time with medical bills piling up. All of this causing Dad to work 70 hours a week on top of caring for mom and the girls.

Come December 2016, Dad was dianosed with Stage 3 Cholangiocarcinoma- Bile Duct Cancer. There are fewer than 20,000 cases diagnosed yearly in the U.S. 
In February of 2017, Dad underwent surgery to remove 1/3 of his liver due to a tumor followed by 6 months of heavy & rigorious chemotherapy that was often debilitating to the point of only getting out to bed to vomit.
While out on disability, dad suffered a paycut and almost lost his job because of his condition- causing him to return to work while still undergoing chemo so that he could provide for his family.

Post chemo scans along with 3 month post-chemo scans all showed that his cancer was in remission. 6 month post-chemo scans showed 4 new tumor on his liver which brings us to present day where mom is still disabled and needing the care of the family while Dad is finally starting his new chemo rounds (after the insurance company initially denied chemo)


Now that new treatments for dad, scans for both parents, & other medical  bills are piling up- Dad is worried about making ends meet. Kara and I just want to aleviate his stress about money so that he can focus on recovery.

Organizer and beneficiary

Massey Cotton
Organizer
Orlando, FL
Kara Culjat
Beneficiary

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