A Safe Place to Fight Cancer

Earlier this year, I learned that my friend and colleague Cole was not only fighting cancer for the fourth time, but did not have a safe place to live. His next-door neighbor had verbally and physically attacked him, and had even called the cops to his house in the middle of the night, while he was doing nothing but sleeping. I am raising money to help Cole pay a higher rent in a new apartment, so he can go through his next rounds of cancer treatment in a safe place he can truly call home.

Cole came into my life two years ago, when he began a psychotherapy internship at my workplace. Over time, I have slowly learned more of Cole's story. When he was only 9 years old, his mother was diagnosed with a rare cancer, which would eventually take her life, and the life of his older sister. Then, at the age of 16, Court was diagnosed as well. He has been through countless surgeries and physical therapy, not to mention over 40 rounds of chemotherapy. Nevertheless, he became the first person in his family to graduate from college in 2018, and then went on to pursue a masters' degree in social work from Bryn Mawr College.

That's when I met Cole, in his second-year internship at social work school. I immediately felt that he was one of the sweetest and most generous people I had ever known. But only a few months into his internship, he learned that his cancer had returned, and he would need extensive surgeries to have a tumor removed from his leg, and a prosthetic leg built. Through all this, he worked incredibly hard to remain in his internship and continue seeing his clients, whom he is extraordinarily dedicated to. When he graduated later that year, he immediately started working as a staff member at our psychotherapy practice. After living with friends for months, he searched to find a place to live on his own, and finally moved into a new apartment.

Then, this May, his cancer returned again. But not only that, the bigoted next-door neighbor at his new apartment became extremely aggressive and made his housing situation unsafe. My friend Danna and I rushed to find Cole a new place to live. We couldn't stand the idea that Cole would have to go through this next battle with cancer, while not even being safe in his own home.

A few weeks later, Cole was able to move into his new apartment, literally alternating moving days with chemo days. Money is still a struggle, because he can only work limited hours, but nevertheless he is deeply committed to being there for his clients, no matter what he goes through. I'm completely blown away by his commitment to working with his clients and helping them heal, all while going through his own struggles.

We want Cole to have a safe place to live, where he does not need to worry about how rent will get paid, while he goes through this round of cancer treatments. Danna and I are asking for your help to raise one year of rent for Cole. He is an extraordinary human who has been through so much, and he deserves, at the very least, a safe place to call home. Can you make a donation to give Cole one year of safe housing?