Funeral expenses for my father

Thank you for taking the time to read this memorial to my father, Bill McWhirter. My dad passed away this morning after a long battle with cancer in Indianapolis. His death was caused by complications from his many surgeries and treatment.

My dad started his adult life as a special deputy with the Sheriff's Office. After some time, he left the Sheriff's Office and became an over the road trucker, a career he enjoyed. Periodically he dabbled in starting his own business trying to create a substantial startup that he could leave behind to his children. My dad leaves behind his wife, three sons, a daughter, and eight grandchildren, one brother and sister and his step father. All of whom loved him dearly.

My mom has had to tap all her financial resources to pay for most of what health insurance wouldn't cover, not to mention transportation. In spring of this year my mother took my father to a cancer treatment center in Chicago. The specialists there did great work and the treatment there sent the cancer into remission, we were very hopeful and we planned for my dad to accompany my mom when she came to visit my family in Montana. But last month the cancer returned stronger than before and this morning my dad suffered a catastrophic complication. The internal loss of blood was too much for his heart and he passed away. We are comforted knowing that he died at home. He dreaded a long hospital stay away from his loved ones.

When my father stopped working due to his cancer he lost his life insurance. Being that he was diagnosed with a cancer that had a high mortality rate, there were no affordable options available. My mother (who is 59 years old) having tapped her financial resources, is now faced with borrowing against her dwindled retirement account to finish off my father's remaining medical bills and cover his funeral expenses.

Even after combining what savings our family has to offset these costs, we are coming up very short. So, I am here before you all asking on behalf of my family, for any assistance that you can spare. Most of all to share this story of my dad in as many places as possible. We are a private family who would normally never take to such a public forum for support, but we are at the end of the resources available to us.

We've all heard the saying "every little bit helps." That could not be any truer than it is now.  For those of you who have called are texted me about helping us out, I am using this as a clearing house for the money we will be using for this.  And again, thank you so much. Every dime of this fund will go to an account I've set up in Indianapolis so my mom can withdraw it and pay for his funeral services and finish paying off his medical bills. If we surpass our goal, we will use some of the remainder to assist in softening the cost to fly my children and I to Indianapolis from Montana so that we may attend my father's services. If we further surpass that need, we will donate the remainder to another family who has lost a loved one to cancer here on GoFundMe. We McWhirters have a long history of paying it forward, and we believe in making our good fortune someone else's good fortune.

Thank you for taking the time to read my family's story. We appreciate all the good thoughts, prayers and karma sent our way.