Support Kaine's Battle Against Stage 4 Lymphoma

I've typed this about a thousand times over and deleted it every time. Cancer. Just a word. A word that never had much meaning to me. I hadn't lost anyone due to it; hell, I hadn't really had anyone that affected by it. But on June 6th of 2024, that all changed.

I went to Union Hospital in Terre Haute due to severe fatigue, shortness of breath, and my skin coloring was off — I was yellow. I couldn't even make it through one of Isla's softball games without having to go and take a nap in my car because I was so exhausted from being out in the sun. What really prompted me to go, actually, was a text from my ex saying, "You look like you're dying." I knew I had to live, if not for me, then for Isla. I'll be fully transparent with you guys, I was living out of my car while all of this was happening. I couldn't hold a job to save my life and couldn't pay my bills; therefore, I was evicted. I would park in the back of Red Dot Storage in Terre Haute every night to sleep so no one would see me, and I would spend the days bouncing between different Starbucks just ordering waters so I could sit somewhere and have free Wi-Fi. Showers were the worst. I couldn't make it through without feeling like I was going to pass out every time. I'd have to sit on the toilet for like 20 minutes afterward to regain enough strength to put clothes on for the day. It wasn't until I got my diagnosis that things made sense and I had answers as to why I was always too tired to go to work: I was gravely sick. After a blood test, they determined my hemoglobin level was 3 (a normal person's should be somewhere around 15), and that prompted my mom to drop what she was doing and race to Terre Haute to be with me. I was eventually transferred to Norton's Women's and Children's Hospital, as my brother’s dad Dr. Jaffri had suggested we get to a bigger campus. So Nortons it was as they had a highly respected cancer institute that was near Jasper (I was going to be moving in with mom so she could help care for me). On June 13, I was hit with "the news." Almost as soon as the words "lymphoma" left Dr. Stevens's mouth, every sound just sort of drowned itself out. Believe it or not, it was actually quite a blissful experience. They determined that my Hodgkin's lymphoma was stage 4 but assured me that it was very treatable and I have a high probability of beating it.

I can't thank the team at Norton's that has had my back through all of this enough. We've seen neurologists, oncologists, hospitalists, and every other -ist in between it seems like lol, but they have all truly been fantastic. Even when I've lost my temper with them, they've stuck by my side and I truly believe in what they are doing for me.

I also can't thank everyone who has donated so far enough. Your generosity has kept me alive and made sure that my little girl doesn't have to go without her daddy. That's what it's all about, man: kids. I don't even know where to start in explaining how much I love her lol.

In addition, I want to take a moment to thank my mother for everything she’s done. From the moment I was diagnosed, she dropped everything to care for me 24/7. She quit her job, made my meals, administered my medications, hell she even helped me get dressed a few times when I was in so much pain I couldn’t move. I’ll never be able to properly repay her for everything she has done for me. I love that woman endlessly.

I am seeking donations to help cover the following expenses:

- Medical bills and supplies, necessary medications, medical equipment, and items needed during my recovery and treatment

- Transportation: I will be traveling to Louisville, Kentucky for treatments from Jasper, Indiana. Proving to add up quickly.

- Nutrition: healthy and nutrient-rich diet that will be required during my recovery

- Living Expenses: varying bills that do not stop coming each month even when you find yourself in this situation.

My goal is to ensure that I am equipped with the best chance for a recovery journey that has minimal stress. We want me to be focused on healing and to alleviate any outside stressors if we can, such as financial burdens. Any amount that you can donate is beyond appreciated. I still have a very long road ahead of me to beat this and I truly do need your help. 

I know that I have no other option but to fight. Not for myself, but for Isla. I didn't have my dad around growing up, and that led to a lot of confusion and a deep rooted fear of abandonment issues that ultimately ruined my relationships. I know I can't do the same thing to Isla. She needs me.

I started a second GoFundMe as to not have the funds go between so many different people each month and so that they just come directly to me as I am handling my care and treatment moving forward. The stress surrounding this GoFundMe has been the last thing I need to deal with when battling something like cancer, but this is the situation we're in. I don't want to go any further into it as I don't want anyone pointing fingers at the other. Again, I am not working right now, so any and all donations are welcome as I have to provide myself a means of survival.

I hope wherever you are reading this that you're well and taken care of. If you've gotten this far through this thing, I love you lol. If you click that donation button, I'll love you even harder!

Kaine