Tim Bishop's Chemo & Stem Cell Fund
Donation protected
Friends and family, please take a moment to read this and make a life-changing donation to support these beautiful people!
If you're lucky, you end up working with people who become your "work family". Even if it's not true, you usually feel like you end up spending more time with your "work family" than your own family! One of my work family members is Sarah Bishop (formerly, Sarah Markham). She is my law firm's amazing office manager and has become a dear friend over the years.
Sarah grew up in Long Beach, WA, and went to elementary school with Tim Bishop. As members of a small community, they grew up together. They were in the same youth group and went to senior tolo together. Tim was quite the athlete! An All-Star baseball playing stud who also earned the coveted quarterback position as a freshman and started on the varsity basketball team. Tim played baseball at UW for 1 year before playing at Whitworth for 2 years. He went on to earn his Master's Degree at Whitworth in Economics and Business. He also received his teaching certificate, which allows him to teach elementary and middle school kids, which is his true passion.
Sarah and Tim reunited decades later, fell in love, and got married on November 8, 2014. They love each other, playing board games at Uptown Espresso in the Delridge neighborhood, and owning/fostering basset hounds! They are just a really cute couple who should be celebrating their lives together as newlyweds.
Unfortunately, they received some really scary news about 7 weeks ago.
Tim has been diagnosed with Recurrent Classic Hodgkin's Lymphoma. This is the second time he's been diagnosed with lymphoma....he battled against it 12 years ago and was successful in beating it after much chemo. This time, he has a large mass that is wrapped around his inferior vena cava and extends to his L5/S1 in his lower back. It also exists in the bone marrow in his legs.
Tim started a treatment called TREC, a chemotherapy regimen, yesterday. TREC is a modified form of ICE therapy, a very arguous treatment, that enables him to have his own stem cells harested and then transplanted back into his body. He will be receiving treatment at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
As you can imagine, the thought of undergoing hours of aggressive chemo treatment daily is daunting and scary for Tim. The financial cost of this necessary treatment is terrifying as well. I just received a text from Sarah explaining that the stem cell transplant will cost $423,000.00 alone! Medicare will cover 80%.....which sounds awesome until you realize that the 20% that remains is still $85,000.00! Sarah and Tim will be responsible for paying $85,000.00!! These are not people who "come from money" or are independently wealthy...simply, these are hardworking people of meager means.
I love these two people more than words...they're simply good, solid, honest people. Tim deserves the opportunity to fight without thinking about the financial burden of this necessary treatment. I am asking you, whether or not you know Sarah and Tim, to donate to their cause. Call it a belated wedding present....call it a "kick cancer's ass" present....call it whatever suits you....but please donate.
Please visit Tim's Caring Bridge website to follow his treatment regimen, read his journal, and to share supportive words!
www.caringbridge.org/visit/timothybishop
Thank you in advance for your consideration and support.
Lauren Wegener
If you're lucky, you end up working with people who become your "work family". Even if it's not true, you usually feel like you end up spending more time with your "work family" than your own family! One of my work family members is Sarah Bishop (formerly, Sarah Markham). She is my law firm's amazing office manager and has become a dear friend over the years.
Sarah grew up in Long Beach, WA, and went to elementary school with Tim Bishop. As members of a small community, they grew up together. They were in the same youth group and went to senior tolo together. Tim was quite the athlete! An All-Star baseball playing stud who also earned the coveted quarterback position as a freshman and started on the varsity basketball team. Tim played baseball at UW for 1 year before playing at Whitworth for 2 years. He went on to earn his Master's Degree at Whitworth in Economics and Business. He also received his teaching certificate, which allows him to teach elementary and middle school kids, which is his true passion.
Sarah and Tim reunited decades later, fell in love, and got married on November 8, 2014. They love each other, playing board games at Uptown Espresso in the Delridge neighborhood, and owning/fostering basset hounds! They are just a really cute couple who should be celebrating their lives together as newlyweds.
Unfortunately, they received some really scary news about 7 weeks ago.
Tim has been diagnosed with Recurrent Classic Hodgkin's Lymphoma. This is the second time he's been diagnosed with lymphoma....he battled against it 12 years ago and was successful in beating it after much chemo. This time, he has a large mass that is wrapped around his inferior vena cava and extends to his L5/S1 in his lower back. It also exists in the bone marrow in his legs.
Tim started a treatment called TREC, a chemotherapy regimen, yesterday. TREC is a modified form of ICE therapy, a very arguous treatment, that enables him to have his own stem cells harested and then transplanted back into his body. He will be receiving treatment at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
As you can imagine, the thought of undergoing hours of aggressive chemo treatment daily is daunting and scary for Tim. The financial cost of this necessary treatment is terrifying as well. I just received a text from Sarah explaining that the stem cell transplant will cost $423,000.00 alone! Medicare will cover 80%.....which sounds awesome until you realize that the 20% that remains is still $85,000.00! Sarah and Tim will be responsible for paying $85,000.00!! These are not people who "come from money" or are independently wealthy...simply, these are hardworking people of meager means.
I love these two people more than words...they're simply good, solid, honest people. Tim deserves the opportunity to fight without thinking about the financial burden of this necessary treatment. I am asking you, whether or not you know Sarah and Tim, to donate to their cause. Call it a belated wedding present....call it a "kick cancer's ass" present....call it whatever suits you....but please donate.
Please visit Tim's Caring Bridge website to follow his treatment regimen, read his journal, and to share supportive words!
www.caringbridge.org/visit/timothybishop
Thank you in advance for your consideration and support.
Lauren Wegener
Organizer and beneficiary
Lauren Mariko Wegener
Organizer
Seattle, WA
Sarah Bishop
Beneficiary