Help w/My Brother's Medical Bills!

My brother Nick is a freelance writer and artist and has dedicated his life to telling meaningful and transformative stories with his talent. For those who don’t know, Nick has had to pay for three skin cancer surgeries out-of-pocket due to no health insurance—two basal cell carcinomas and one squamous cell. All three involved excisions and reconstructive surgeries both. Of the two lesions on his face, one required a separate cosmetic surgeon as it was in a tricky spot. All that to say, the ordeal has been pretty catastrophic financially. This last bout with squamous cell, he tried to qualify for Medical but (amazingly, though he was only teaching one class and was well below poverty level) did not qualify as most agencies fail to understand the unique cost of living in L.A. when determining ‘financial hardship.’ He even tried to participate in a clinical study in Australia but could not get his oncologist to sponsor him. So the procedures had to be paid for out-of-pocket, (read: charged) and he has yet to recover financially. Then, at the worst possible moment, for the first time in nineteen years of teaching at Art Center, his classes were cancelled due to low summer enrollment. Bottom line—with no warning, he has zero income. He is hopeful opportunities are on the horizon, but for the moment he’s at the end of his rope, facing eviction, constant calls from creditors, insurmountable penalities and interest and ongoing health issues that require attention.


            My brother has resisted being a charity case at all costs, out of simple pride. But we’ve reminded him that when he was making good money at Disney, he took care of others, often before himself. We are a family who all help one another out at some point, when we can. But my brother’s ability to be generous to loved ones is a thing of the past; he is now the one in need! Please help him pay his medical bills and follow-up with the needed Zyclara therapy ( prescriptions and dermatoloist/oncologist visits) that he's been as yet unable to do. 

Breakdown of how funds will be used:

Original basal cell carcinoma excision: $2,000
Dr. David Charles Rish, Beverly Hills

Original basal cell carcinoma reconstructive: $4,500
Dr. David Sadaat, Beverly Hills

Squamous cell carcinoma excision and reconstructive: $2,500
Dr. Han Lee, Pasadena

Current health care and needed follow-up appointments with oncologist/dermatologist/Immiquimod prescriptions: $3,500
Dr. Jeff Ashley, Burbank

Pre-surgery cannabis therapy: $1,000

Additional debt accrued during ordeal: $1,500
                                                                               

You can help in the following ways: 

1) DONATE!

2) Share the link to the GoFundMe Page on social media ( FB, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, etc. ) and your personal EMail lists!!