Gwen's Cancer Beatdown Fund
Hi friends. I'm Chris and I'm on a mission with you. My best friend, partner and mother of my son Kai just learned she has cancer.
Gwendolyn V. Davis is one of the strongest, most talented and special people I have ever known, but she cannot fight this fight alone. So I am here to rally everyone who reads this to do whatever you can to stand beside Gwen and launch a full-on assault on this disease and vanquish it so she may continue to fulfill her destiny.
So yeah - THAT happened...
Gwen has been suffering for years from agonizing and debilitating intestinal pain and - lately - bleeding on a daily basis. It was beginning to seriously hinder her ability to work and build her business as a special effects makeup artist and budding entrepreneur.
Because Gwen has no health insurance, she has been frustratingly unable to get the proper treatment and diagnosis. GI doctors and colonoscopies cost many thousands of dollars. Finally, as her condition got to a point where she could barely function, we said enough's enough and we reached out to a colonoscopy assistance company and were able to arrange a lower cost option and get financing to have the procedure. It still cost her thousands of dollars in the form of debt, but at long last we were able to know the truth.
A week after having the colonoscopy, on the morning of her birthday, she received the lab results in an email. I was taking the dogs for their morning walk and I got a text from Gwen. Three words you never ever want to hear from a loved one:
"I have cancer".
ad·e·no·car·ci·no·ma
ˌadn-ōˌkärsəˈnōmə/
noun: a malignant tumor formed from glandular structures in epithelial tissue.
Gwen Needs Immediate Surgery to Remove her Malignant Cancer
So what do you do when the cancerous mass in your intestine has reached a point of total blockage and you need surgery to live, but you have no health insurance? You walk into the University Medical Center and hope for the best. You have no choice. They will take you in and perform the life-saving surgery and whatever follow-up cancer treatments you need, but what happens in the aftermath is almost always a financial nightmare. Gwen has applied for Medicaid, and there is some hope that that she will be approved and some of the costs will be absorbed by our fraying social safety net, but there are no guarantees. That is why she needs all of our help right away.
Gwen's business: Faux Tattoo Studios & Tat Bar
Gwen, as many of you know, is an artistic genius and a pioneer innovator in developing a technique for creating and applying realistic FX Tattoos. Even today, as she readies herself for hospital admittance later in the day, she is laser-cutting stencils and FedExing them to Los Angeles for a film production. It is her life's passion, and she will never let a client down. The show must go on!
According to her doctor, this surgery will require 1-2 months of recovery. This means that she sadly will need to close down her month-old retail Tat Bar in Las Vegas and put her production work and events business on temporay hold. I will continue to work and provide for Gwen and Kai, but it will be a struggle on top of her total loss of income and the mounting medical expenses.
What will the funds be used for?
Gwen's future medical expenses and loss of income are an unknown at present. Suffice to say, major surgery to have a cancerous mass removed, weeks in the hospital and many months of follow-up care will be in the many tens of thousands of dollars. She may also require chemotherapy if the surgeons feel they may have missed anything or if - God forbid - the cancer spreads beyond the intestinal wall. She will also have no way of earning an income for some months to come. I am setting the goal at $20,000 with the hope that - if we reach it with your help - it will at least allay the worst in the near future and allow Gwen to pick up where she left off and conquer the world of body art!
A Son Needs a Mom - Let's Do It For Kai!
Our son is 12 years old and shows all the signs of taking after his mom. Their bond is truly special. I can't even describe it without crying. Suffice to say, every dollar donated to Gwen's Cancer Battle will be felt deeply by Kai and me and all those who love and cherish Gwen and want her to live a long and prosperous life. Please donate any amount - however small or large today - and let's also be there for Gwen while she straps on her Wonder Woman cuffs and kicks this thing's ass!
Thank you!
.