Help the Fisk Family!
Donation protected
When you become a parent, you promise yourself that you'll ensure your kids' lives are better than yours. You want everything to be as perfect as it can be, and you set that intention. But when your first child has a stroke at just 7 days old, you begin to realize how little control you have over some of the most impactful events of your life.
Before you can worry about preschool, you have to worry about seizures, blindness, brain damage, medications around the clock, occupational therapy, physical therapy, vision therapy, surgeries, botox injections, and countless appointments with countless specialists who cannot tell you what went wrong. All you can do is remind yourself of your promise to do your best to make sure your kid's life is better than yours, no matter what. You teach your son to be strong, to be kind to himself and others, and to work hard. Your house motto is "We do hard things," and you preach that there is no room for "can't."
Fast forward five years, and things are going relatively well. This kid, Beckley, is charming, compassionate, and clever. With half a dozen therapies and kindergarten, his schedule is busier than other kids', and he's already dealing with the anxiety of not fitting in or being able to do the same things as his classmates, but he's happy. He also has a little brother who's not only his best friend but also his biggest admirer. A brother who's already learned to bring Beckley his walker when he needs it, who has fed Beckley when Beckley couldn't see well enough to feed himself, and who has grown up witnessing his brother fight through tough PT sessions, endure 24-hours EEGs, and overcome frightening visits to the ER.
This family-- our family-- thought that maybe we had finally leveled out, maybe we were out of the storm. Sure, we're still treading water through waves of medical bills, but emotionally, we're OK.
And then Beckley’s dad, Matt, got cancer. Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. So now, in addition to school and weekly therapies, our family also has oncology appointments, blood draws, blood transfusions, and chemotherapy. Plus, the looming reality that Matt will also need an autologous stem cell transplant. Beckley's mom, Julie, is working two jobs to try to increase the family's income, but with medical bills coming for two family members, it's not enough.
And that is why we are humbly asking for your support to help us make it through this incredibly challenging time. We are a family who is stubborn to a fault and who struggles to ask for help, but we have reached a point where continuing to be stubborn amounts to nothing but stupidity. Please check out our Caring Bridge if you want to learn more about Matt's battle with Lymphoma.
After our medical bills are covered, any additional funds raised will be put toward the acquisition of a service dog for Beckley, and possibly a trip to Disneyland for the family, because goodness, we need a break.
Endless thanks and love to all,
The Fisks
Before you can worry about preschool, you have to worry about seizures, blindness, brain damage, medications around the clock, occupational therapy, physical therapy, vision therapy, surgeries, botox injections, and countless appointments with countless specialists who cannot tell you what went wrong. All you can do is remind yourself of your promise to do your best to make sure your kid's life is better than yours, no matter what. You teach your son to be strong, to be kind to himself and others, and to work hard. Your house motto is "We do hard things," and you preach that there is no room for "can't."
Fast forward five years, and things are going relatively well. This kid, Beckley, is charming, compassionate, and clever. With half a dozen therapies and kindergarten, his schedule is busier than other kids', and he's already dealing with the anxiety of not fitting in or being able to do the same things as his classmates, but he's happy. He also has a little brother who's not only his best friend but also his biggest admirer. A brother who's already learned to bring Beckley his walker when he needs it, who has fed Beckley when Beckley couldn't see well enough to feed himself, and who has grown up witnessing his brother fight through tough PT sessions, endure 24-hours EEGs, and overcome frightening visits to the ER.
This family-- our family-- thought that maybe we had finally leveled out, maybe we were out of the storm. Sure, we're still treading water through waves of medical bills, but emotionally, we're OK.
And then Beckley’s dad, Matt, got cancer. Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. So now, in addition to school and weekly therapies, our family also has oncology appointments, blood draws, blood transfusions, and chemotherapy. Plus, the looming reality that Matt will also need an autologous stem cell transplant. Beckley's mom, Julie, is working two jobs to try to increase the family's income, but with medical bills coming for two family members, it's not enough.
And that is why we are humbly asking for your support to help us make it through this incredibly challenging time. We are a family who is stubborn to a fault and who struggles to ask for help, but we have reached a point where continuing to be stubborn amounts to nothing but stupidity. Please check out our Caring Bridge if you want to learn more about Matt's battle with Lymphoma.
After our medical bills are covered, any additional funds raised will be put toward the acquisition of a service dog for Beckley, and possibly a trip to Disneyland for the family, because goodness, we need a break.
Endless thanks and love to all,
The Fisks
Organizer
Julie Fisk
Organizer
Bellevue, WA