Help a Navy Veteran with Cancer to save his home

Hi. My name is Pat Augustine and, frankly, I'm embarrassed to be asking for your help. But I'm running out of options. I'm nearly 65, a former Naval Aircrewman on P3-Cs, a well-regarded Unix/Linux IT guy, and I have Stage IV Kidney Cancer (which I'm being treated for at the local Mayo Clinic at Jacksonville Beach), which I've now been battling for about 7 years. I have two dogs, Pogo, a red dachshund, and Penny, a black and white dachshund/beagle mix. I love them dearly. You would too. They are very friendly.

My father (and mother for that matter) were also in the Navy and I grew up overseas. My dad retired in Pensacola, FL, and when I joined the service, the Navy sent me to Jacksonville, FL, where I live now. Both of my parents are deceased, but my sister and her husband, and my nephew and his wife and child all live here in Jacksonville as well.

A couple of years ago a guy I knew with Cerebral Palsy, who is wheelchair bound and only earns the minimum Social Security disability (about $700/month) was being evicted and I offered to let him live in my spare bedroom, so I have a roommate, but he cannot contribute much. If I lose the house we are both going to have to find a new place to live.

I have many medical issues, including a bad spine, so you see I use a mobility scooter. Also, I've been unable to work since we started the chemotherapy for my first metastasis (I now have 3). The chemo makes me unreliable. I'm forgetful to the point where I sometimes can't even remember words, let alone complex computer commands, and I have extreme fatigue which makes me sleep randomly, pretty much several naps a day. I can't bend over and pick things up, abdominal surgery means I'm not supposed to lift anything bigger than a gallon of milk. I'm generally cheerful but I am, physically, a bit of a mess.

My company paid disability ended recently, because I'm turning 65. I knew this was coming and I thought I had planned for it. I refinanced my house so my mortgage would be coverable at my new, lower income. It was going to be tight, but I thought I could make it. But then, as you know, everything went up in price the last couple of years, and my homeowners insurance company decided to no longer write insurance in Florida as they had too much risk. I was transferred to a new insurance company (YAY!) but the cost was much higher. My mortgage went from roughly $1600 to roughly $2000. With my other bills, I couldn't manage it. Especially as I have a Medicare Supplement that, until next month, was costing me $1000/month. Cancer is expensive and so is the insurance. I have to have a company give me a grant to pay for my monthly chemotherapy medication as my copay is roughly $3400/month. Who can pay that? I surely can't.

So I am now several months behind on my mortgage. I've received a notice from my lender that if I don't have $6000 to them by September 14, they will begin foreclosure. In addition, I appear to have made a mistake on my taxes from 2 years ago and the IRS has informed me I now owe them another $6000. (all numbers are rounded off).

Even if I come up with the $6000 (which I absolutely cannot without your help), that only covers my mortgage for the past due amount. I need more for September.

It's a tough time and everybody is hurting. I truly wish I wasn't out here with my hand out as well, but if I have to move, I don't know how I'll do it. My roommate is wheelchair bound and I can't walk more than about 15 feet without significant pain. I have a nice house, that I've spent a lot of money on over the years repairing and upgrading. The most obvious solution available would be to sell the house, but then I'd still have to live SOMEWHERE and rent in Jacksonville and nearby areas is even higher than my mortgage. And with Stage IV Cancer, I need to be close to a good cancer center. I recently learned that it has grown into the lymph nodes in my groin, and into T12 in my spine. I don't know what the future holds for me, but I'd really like to not have to include losing my home in with all the other stuff.

Thank you, so much, for anything you can pitch in. Any amount at all will help. I've been a strong independent man my entire life and it is really hard for me to ask for help. In fact, I should have asked sooner. But here I am, facing a deadline and out of ideas. Please help.

Update: Thank you so much for all of you who donated. The Mortgage company has now told me they overcharged me for my escrow, which is a big part of why I couldn't pay the bill, but they won't send me the escrow back until I come current. Even though the amount of escrow they owe me is the minimum payment they will accept. Is that insane or what? Catch-22 in real life.

In any case, I am very hesitant to ask for more help. I'm not sure I deserve it, to be honest. But if you have the money and it won't impact your day-today and you wish to pitch in to help I would be very grateful. I am currently working with the Hardship group to see if they'll approve some sort of loan modification but I don't know how that will turn out.

I am not looking forward to homelessness.