Jim Foster's Medical Fund
Donation protected
UPDATE: August 13th, 2019
We have confirmed that Jim will go home this Saturday, August 17th. While this is excellent news in many ways, it's also daunting for us and for Jim. Jim is still wheelchair-bound and needs assistance doing most acts of daily living. He especially needs help with someone being there overnight. We are also considering a full-time, live-in, caregiver if you know anyone. He will also need help cooking, cleaning and getting groceries. If you can help, please go to this calendar and plug yourself in by putting your name and the nature of your help (i.e., Christopher-Groceries or Nancy-Overnight). Thank you!
IF YOU CAN HELP: https://teamup.com/kshyctg4t8a2mtiyyn
UPDATE: July 10th, 2019
Jim is now back in Sonoma County! He is spending some time at Park View Post-Acute Rehab in Santa Rosa. While we had hoped to report significant progress by now, that is unfortunately not the case. Jim's physical challenges, such as not being able to walk, continue and his cognitive issues have worsened some. That said, Jim continues to persist with hope, gratitude and overall is in good spirits. This is in good part due to the love and support he has received from his community! Thank you everyone for your cards, donations, well-wishing words and prayers as well as phone calls and visits. Please continue to hold Jim in your thoughts and spread the word about this fundraising. He recovery is a long road and will require the whole village! If you can help, please sign up for a time you can come by and visit/help:
UPDATE: First we want to thank everyone who has so generously donated and surprised us by helping us so quickly approach our original goal of $5000. We (Jim, Nancy Vogl, JT Bymaster and Christopher Bowers) have all been very moved by people's generosity and kind words about Jim. CPMC, where Jim is currently being treated, has made it clear that they feel a Skilled Nursing Facility would be more appropriate at this time. Jim's recovery is going to take longer than originally thought and require more specialized care (such as home care, possibly overnight care as well as skilled nursing, physical therapy and body work -all of which may be expensive over the long recovery period). Furthermore, during this time he will continue to be unable to work. For these reasons, we have decided to raise our fundraising goal to $10,000 just to insure that Jim can get the care he needs. We will also be doing a house party fundraiser in the near future to help us get there. Whatever you are able to give, small or large or in-between, is very appreciated. If you are unable to help financially, please send out this GoFundMe page to your contacts and community. Again, thank you!
Dear Community,
Many of you know Jim Foster and the amazing work he has done in our community (described below). He is currently hospitalized with a diagnosis of Gullion Barre' Syndrome (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/guillain-barre-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20362793), a debilitating immune disease that has taken away Jim's ability to walk as well as created other physical and cognitive challenges. Jim is currently undergoing physical therapy treatment at California Pacific Medical Center. Jim may have a long recovery period ahead and will definitely need our support.
As he goes through treatment, Jim is unable to work and is ineligible for disability benefits. Therefore, we are raising money to help Jim cover his medical costs. We are also looking for people who may be able to help do some limited care assistance for him once he returns home (please contact us via this page if you think you can help with care).
In 1990 Jim Foster co-founded Positive Images, an organization that provides emotional support and mentorship for LGBTQI youth as well as community education on homophobia and transphobia (https://posimages.org). He, along with a few others, ran the organization for the next 25 plus years. In that time hundreds, if not thousands of Sonoma County queer youth have benefited from Jim's vision and work. Jim also dedicated 20 plus years to running the peer counseling program at Santa Rosa High School and helped countless others through his psychotherapeutic practice and his largess of mentorship and guidance.
Jim Foster has given so deeply to our community. Now is a time in which we can give back and honor this elder who has given so much.
We have confirmed that Jim will go home this Saturday, August 17th. While this is excellent news in many ways, it's also daunting for us and for Jim. Jim is still wheelchair-bound and needs assistance doing most acts of daily living. He especially needs help with someone being there overnight. We are also considering a full-time, live-in, caregiver if you know anyone. He will also need help cooking, cleaning and getting groceries. If you can help, please go to this calendar and plug yourself in by putting your name and the nature of your help (i.e., Christopher-Groceries or Nancy-Overnight). Thank you!
IF YOU CAN HELP: https://teamup.com/kshyctg4t8a2mtiyyn
UPDATE: July 10th, 2019
Jim is now back in Sonoma County! He is spending some time at Park View Post-Acute Rehab in Santa Rosa. While we had hoped to report significant progress by now, that is unfortunately not the case. Jim's physical challenges, such as not being able to walk, continue and his cognitive issues have worsened some. That said, Jim continues to persist with hope, gratitude and overall is in good spirits. This is in good part due to the love and support he has received from his community! Thank you everyone for your cards, donations, well-wishing words and prayers as well as phone calls and visits. Please continue to hold Jim in your thoughts and spread the word about this fundraising. He recovery is a long road and will require the whole village! If you can help, please sign up for a time you can come by and visit/help:
UPDATE: First we want to thank everyone who has so generously donated and surprised us by helping us so quickly approach our original goal of $5000. We (Jim, Nancy Vogl, JT Bymaster and Christopher Bowers) have all been very moved by people's generosity and kind words about Jim. CPMC, where Jim is currently being treated, has made it clear that they feel a Skilled Nursing Facility would be more appropriate at this time. Jim's recovery is going to take longer than originally thought and require more specialized care (such as home care, possibly overnight care as well as skilled nursing, physical therapy and body work -all of which may be expensive over the long recovery period). Furthermore, during this time he will continue to be unable to work. For these reasons, we have decided to raise our fundraising goal to $10,000 just to insure that Jim can get the care he needs. We will also be doing a house party fundraiser in the near future to help us get there. Whatever you are able to give, small or large or in-between, is very appreciated. If you are unable to help financially, please send out this GoFundMe page to your contacts and community. Again, thank you!
Dear Community,
Many of you know Jim Foster and the amazing work he has done in our community (described below). He is currently hospitalized with a diagnosis of Gullion Barre' Syndrome (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/guillain-barre-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20362793), a debilitating immune disease that has taken away Jim's ability to walk as well as created other physical and cognitive challenges. Jim is currently undergoing physical therapy treatment at California Pacific Medical Center. Jim may have a long recovery period ahead and will definitely need our support.
As he goes through treatment, Jim is unable to work and is ineligible for disability benefits. Therefore, we are raising money to help Jim cover his medical costs. We are also looking for people who may be able to help do some limited care assistance for him once he returns home (please contact us via this page if you think you can help with care).
In 1990 Jim Foster co-founded Positive Images, an organization that provides emotional support and mentorship for LGBTQI youth as well as community education on homophobia and transphobia (https://posimages.org). He, along with a few others, ran the organization for the next 25 plus years. In that time hundreds, if not thousands of Sonoma County queer youth have benefited from Jim's vision and work. Jim also dedicated 20 plus years to running the peer counseling program at Santa Rosa High School and helped countless others through his psychotherapeutic practice and his largess of mentorship and guidance.
Jim Foster has given so deeply to our community. Now is a time in which we can give back and honor this elder who has given so much.
Organizer and beneficiary
Christopher Bowers
Organizer
Sebastopol, CA
Christopher Bowers
Beneficiary