Paying Doctor Jim Back
Donation protected
Please see Dr. Jim's obituary in the update below.
Help Dr. Jim Pugh’s Family
To Jim, Tiffany, and Cherene, he’s Dad. To his patients young and old, he was Doctor Jim. A beloved El Segundo and Palos Verdes dentist for many years, Jim Pugh—with his playful wit—could evoke a smile, then a laugh, from his most anxious patients, some of whom he would treat for next to nothing or for free if they were needy. Captain of the USC basketball team as a young man, Jim married Nancy, his beautiful college sweetheart, and together they raised son Jim and daughters Tiffany and Cherene.
When Doctor Jim was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, Nancy was at his side, providing loving support as he battled through endless rounds of chemotherapy. Adding to their trials, Jim suffered a stroke in 2017 and has had several mini-strokes since (miraculously, his brain remains sharp!). Then, last year, Nancy fell ill herself with a fast-growing cancer. Throughout Jim’s career, he and Nancy had always been quick to respond when friends and family needed financial help. Now, long after the income stream from his business had dried up, the exorbitant cost of medical care for the two of them tapped out their savings as well. Both were in and out of hospitals, fighting infections as well as cancer, as the chemo weakened them more and more. Now it was they who were in need.
Early on, their son Jim and his partner Keri pitched in with a loan to temporarily ease the pressure. Youngest daughter Cherene and her husband Dave—while putting two daughters through college—stretched their credit to the breaking point to purchase a small home near them into which Jim and Nancy could move. Tiffany and her partner moved into the home with Jim and Nancy to become their full-time caregivers and were unable to hold down jobs as Jim and Nancy’s needs mounted. Meanwhile, the bills for the pair’s medications kept arriving.
This May, after a valiant battle during which her positive spirits never flagged, Nancy died. Without his beloved wife of 56 years, Jim carries on. But his body is wracked by infections and effects of the chemotherapy. When he’s in the hospital, his care is covered by Medicare. But there are limits on his hospital stays, and when he’s home, the costs of his medications are crippling for his family (antibiotics alone cost $600 a day) … so their mountain of debt continues to rise.
Many people whose lives have been touched by Doctor Jim and Nancy have asked how they can help the family. So, we’re providing this page as a way not only to allow you to help them—at whatever level you wish—to whittle down their debt burden, but to lift up Jim and his children with your messages of support. We’ll keep you updated, and we thank you for your gift of love.
I’m Jackie Netherby, Doctor Jim’s sister. My husband Stephen and I are lending support to my brother and his family as best we can, but their need is too great. Stephen himself benefitted from a page just such as this several years ago, when cancer intruded on his life, requiring holistic therapies that insurance wouldn’t cover. Here’s what he said at that time: “I admit to being a bit embarrassed when this campaign began, initiated by my amazing friend[s] …. But my embarrassment was soon displaced by deep gratitude.
“It's nice to know ... that there's so much love in the world, and caring, generosity, and selflessness. It reconfirms my belief that our planet, our country, our communities are nurtured, and will be saved in the end ... by us extraordinary, ordinary folk acting together in hope and optimism.”
It's in that spirit that I’m sending this message to you. Jimmy, as I know my brother, and his family are at the end of their financial rope and need our support right now. Please help if you can—with a donation of any size, and a brief message for Doctor Jim and his family. I thank you!
Help Dr. Jim Pugh’s Family
To Jim, Tiffany, and Cherene, he’s Dad. To his patients young and old, he was Doctor Jim. A beloved El Segundo and Palos Verdes dentist for many years, Jim Pugh—with his playful wit—could evoke a smile, then a laugh, from his most anxious patients, some of whom he would treat for next to nothing or for free if they were needy. Captain of the USC basketball team as a young man, Jim married Nancy, his beautiful college sweetheart, and together they raised son Jim and daughters Tiffany and Cherene.
When Doctor Jim was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, Nancy was at his side, providing loving support as he battled through endless rounds of chemotherapy. Adding to their trials, Jim suffered a stroke in 2017 and has had several mini-strokes since (miraculously, his brain remains sharp!). Then, last year, Nancy fell ill herself with a fast-growing cancer. Throughout Jim’s career, he and Nancy had always been quick to respond when friends and family needed financial help. Now, long after the income stream from his business had dried up, the exorbitant cost of medical care for the two of them tapped out their savings as well. Both were in and out of hospitals, fighting infections as well as cancer, as the chemo weakened them more and more. Now it was they who were in need.
Early on, their son Jim and his partner Keri pitched in with a loan to temporarily ease the pressure. Youngest daughter Cherene and her husband Dave—while putting two daughters through college—stretched their credit to the breaking point to purchase a small home near them into which Jim and Nancy could move. Tiffany and her partner moved into the home with Jim and Nancy to become their full-time caregivers and were unable to hold down jobs as Jim and Nancy’s needs mounted. Meanwhile, the bills for the pair’s medications kept arriving.
This May, after a valiant battle during which her positive spirits never flagged, Nancy died. Without his beloved wife of 56 years, Jim carries on. But his body is wracked by infections and effects of the chemotherapy. When he’s in the hospital, his care is covered by Medicare. But there are limits on his hospital stays, and when he’s home, the costs of his medications are crippling for his family (antibiotics alone cost $600 a day) … so their mountain of debt continues to rise.
Many people whose lives have been touched by Doctor Jim and Nancy have asked how they can help the family. So, we’re providing this page as a way not only to allow you to help them—at whatever level you wish—to whittle down their debt burden, but to lift up Jim and his children with your messages of support. We’ll keep you updated, and we thank you for your gift of love.
I’m Jackie Netherby, Doctor Jim’s sister. My husband Stephen and I are lending support to my brother and his family as best we can, but their need is too great. Stephen himself benefitted from a page just such as this several years ago, when cancer intruded on his life, requiring holistic therapies that insurance wouldn’t cover. Here’s what he said at that time: “I admit to being a bit embarrassed when this campaign began, initiated by my amazing friend[s] …. But my embarrassment was soon displaced by deep gratitude.
“It's nice to know ... that there's so much love in the world, and caring, generosity, and selflessness. It reconfirms my belief that our planet, our country, our communities are nurtured, and will be saved in the end ... by us extraordinary, ordinary folk acting together in hope and optimism.”
It's in that spirit that I’m sending this message to you. Jimmy, as I know my brother, and his family are at the end of their financial rope and need our support right now. Please help if you can—with a donation of any size, and a brief message for Doctor Jim and his family. I thank you!
Fundraising team (3)
Steve Netherby
Organizer
San Clemente, CA
James Pugh
Beneficiary
Cherene Neal
Team member
Jacqueline Netherby
Team member