The James Michels GiddyUp Fundraiser

It started in August 2020. My dad James Michels, a 65 year old retiree, was out for a drive in his car... Without warning, he suddenly passed out behind the wheel and woke up moments later with his air bags deployed and the front end of his car smashed into the back of a police K-9 truck. After getting out of the car and starting to speak with the officer, it happened again.. completely blacked out. He woke up later in the emergency room, from where he was released 6 hours later with no major injuries. My brother had a conversation with my dad the next day and decided to have him move into his apartment. Dad wasn't driving anymore with the fear of having another incident of passing out. Fast forward to mid-November... dad was having back pain that he would typically treat with a few chiropractic adjustments and BE GOOD TO GO. Well, not this time. After just a couple adjustments and now about mid-December, dad has developed a large (about tangerine size) lump on the center of his lumbar spine... and it came with a great deal of more pain. To start off 2021, after an ultrasound of the lump, we received the call nobody wants to receive... it was cancer.  Over the next couple weeks, dad's condition worsened. He hasn't been able to taste or smell since August, and now he has a lot of pain in his back and is getting terrible migraines when he never used to get headaches ever! He has no apatite, but even when he tries to eat for the sake of his nutrition, he can't stomach much, has a hard time swallowing, and becomes nauseous - usually throwing everything back up. He had an MRI of the tumor on his back on January 19th and was referred to Oncology. Over the next week, he began to lose interest in many things he once enjoyed; watching sports on TV, playing his PS4, going out for a walk, a card game with friends, etc. On January 28th, he had his first consultation with the oncologist who immediately ordered my dad to be admitted to the hospital. He was very dehydrated and losing weight rapidly. He hadn't eaten anything solid in over a week at this point. Over the last 7 days during his hospital stay, after multiple testing and imaging, they have discovered enlarged lymph nodes on his lungs, an esophageal mass, which is causing trouble with his swallowing, and 3 large tumors on his brain amongst a bunch of smaller ones all in addition to the tumor on his lumbar spine. At this point, we have only a few options: Continue searching for the origin point of this disease and begin one of several different surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments only to prolong his life while destroying the quality of his life -OR- take the comfort route and preserve his quality of life... at home, where he can be surrounded by his family and loved ones and try to enjoy the time he has left. For anyone that knows my dad well enough must know which route he has chosen... comfort and quality. We will soon be hit with several high-cost hospital and medical bills, as well as future bills that will accumulate including hospice services, cremation and funeral expenses, etc. My brother and I have taken and will continue to take some days off work to help care for our dad. Dad receives less than $1200 a month in social security benefits and we have yet to find out the amount of medical and personal care expenses that will be ongoing throughout the unknown duration of his battle. 

We are asking for any donation you are able to give. Every penny will go towards unpaid medical bills and end-of-life services as his condition continues to decline. 

Thank you, in advance, for your thoughts, prayers, and/or donation. May God bless you.