Help Bill McAlister

Ron Shosh, Rick McAlister, Cheryl Maestri, Holly Carlisi, and Tammy Larson are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of their brother Bill McAlister (William P. McAlister.)

We can’t believe this is happening to our brother, Bill. Bill went to the hospital on May 16, 2021. At first the doctors thought he’d had a stroke—suddenly Bill could only say “yes” and “no.” He couldn’t move the right side of his body. His brain was bleeding. That news was devastating enough, but then we learned it was caused by a brain tumor. Bill has a type of brain cancer called Glioblastoma Multiforme.

The bleeding eventually stopped so the doctors could perform a biopsy and remove a portion of the tumor. They only removed a small portion of the tumor because they were concerned whether he would survive being under anesthesia for as long as it would take to remove the majority of the tumor. Since that time, Bill’s spent more than two months in the hospital, undergone multiple surgeries, and had radiation and chemotherapy treatments. He’ll need to stay on a chemotherapy drug for at least 12 more months and continue his radiation treatments. With intense rehabilitation, he gained back some of his speech and could walk using a leg brace and walker.

However, despite ongoing cancer treatments, on August 2, 2021, he wound up back in the hospital since Rene noticed Bill was losing his speech again. It was discovered that he’s developed a second brain tumor that is inoperable, and the first brain tumor is growing, so he underwent another surgery to remove another portion of the initial tumor. Bill is now back home, and Rene has become his caregiver and the sole financial provider for their family. While we keep hoping for a miraculous recovery, his family is struggling with the reality of his medical conditions and the resulting financial toll. Shortly before his illness, Bill and Rene had moved into a new home. Their new home has been a blessing because it’s more handicap accessible than their old home would have been, enabling Bill to move around some on his own. However, the loss of Bill’s income and mounting medical bills make it impossible to make ends meet. They can’t do it alone.

Bill (William) McAlister is one of the most generous and caring human beings out there. He’s 57 years old and has been married to his wife, Rene for 15 years. He has a fourteen-year-old son, an adult daughter, two adult stepdaughters, and seven grandkids. Bill was in the Boy Scouts when he was younger and now is a parent volunteer with his son’s boy scout troop. He is a graduate of Lutheran High School East which was in Harper Woods, Michigan, is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, and has worked at Kim Tam Trucking (a sister company of Samuel, Son and Company) for 34 years. This company supplies steel to several companies including the automobile industry.

While asking for donations was a very hard decision for the family, the choice was made because of Bill’s care due to the reduction in the family’s financial status, mounting medical bills, cancer treatments and expenses.

Any donation for Bill and his family would be greatly appreciated. We know many families have been touched by cancer and understand how overwhelming and shattering it can be. You can donate here online to this GoFundMe fundraiser, or you can go to Flagstar Bank and ask to make a donation (Deposit) to William P. McAlister’s “Donations” account. The specific Flagstar branch associated with the account is located at 30105 Mound Rd., Warren, Michigan.

This GoFundMe account is organized by Ron Shosh (Brother), Rick McAlister (Brother), Cheryl Maestri (Sister), Holly Carlisi (Sister), and Tammy Larson (Sister). Thank you for any help you can give. It makes a world of difference to Bill and his family!