Help Jason Roderick with medical bills.

Time to help a lifelong member of the Md music scene folks, in a dire time!!So many people have shared their memories of Jason and shared also how he has influenced their lives. As you know, he has such loyalty to his friends and family that there are so many positive stories about how he has affected their lives through the years. He has had the company of rock stars and Presidents (seriously! Jason has had audience with a POTUS!) and he has dined with the homeless. He truly is a friend of all. Regarding his diagnosis; Jason was misdiagnosed for what we assume to be a couple of years. After a long time of unknown suffering, he was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma. This is a cancer that is usually only found in the elderly although there are plenty of younger people who have suffered this rough cancer. Because the cancer begins in his bone marrow (where our blood begins), it also is devastating to his bones. The cancer is all over his body as it travels through his veins. It eats his bones, leaving holes while making them also very brittle. Jason was told he has at least two “holes” in each and every bone of his body. This means the cancer has been ravaging his body for much too long without anyone knowing. All of this causes a lot of body pain, making him almost immobile. On his best days he uses a cane, on his bad days he uses a wheelchair and on his worst days he doesn’t leave the bed. The cancerous blood has also wreaked havoc on his kidneys. He received a dialysis port in his abdomen in the event he must begin kidney dialysis. He is in kidney failure but has shown some improvement. This improved kidney function is currently keeping him off of dialysis for now. Jason started chemotherapy treatments and is on the strongest form of chemotherapy medication. He is expected to take 4 rounds of this chemo in 21 day intervals. As long as the chemotherapy continues to work, he will be eligible for a stem cell transplant after the 4th round. This stem cell transplant is the key to his future so getting to this important milestone is our main focus. His bones need to get stronger and the cancer needs to get weaker so that he can be eligible for the transplant. His wife has taken a leave of absence under the Family Medical Leave Act to become Jason’s primary caretaker. Unfortunately, FMLA does not pay but just holds her job in anticipation of my return. We have been using donations to bridge our financial gaps as we continue this journey. I know this is a lot to digest but we owe their time together to everyone who has donated to them so far. Without those donations, Jason would be left alone while his wife, Laura, would be at work or they would have to rely on a stranger to come into their home to be his caretaker. They are not ashamed to accept this help because every penny they receive is another day Laura can be by his side without worry of bringing home any illness or issue. They have applied for SS disability for Jason but they have oddly been denied. This is odd because he was literally diagnosed with a terminal cancer (there is no cure for this cancer. We SO hope for remission). We will continue to appeal the disability denial but that requires a lawyer and time. In the meantime, rent is always due. They are safe and sound for now but worry about the future. Jason is a good soul and needs help. I totally appreciate how the Md music scene ALWAYS comes together for our inner circle people. Thank you!! ~JB