Support Mark and James' Family in Crisis

Hello everyone!

Please allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Mark and James Shimek-Helf, a happily married couple living in Portland. Our story is one of love, and the forces that can upend even a well-planned life.

After years of planning, we moved our retired, fixed-income parents to Portland, OR from a suburb of Chicago. They lived with us for a little over a year until James sold his condo in October 2022 so he could buy them a house close to us. Within less than a year, Mom was diagnosed with blood cancer, and we have been paying half of their mortgage on top of paying for our own.

Our initial goal was to give both parents a peaceful retirement in a safe and lovely area, where we could easily take them to doctor appointments and spend time together in their last chapter. Along with Mom's unexpected health shock, Mark had to reinvent his career due to the COVID pandemic and industry changes – including the recent lack of opportunities during the (justified and well-supported) strike. With bills piling up and the threat of losing both homes, we now find ourselves in the humbling position of having to reach out for help.

The campaign's goal is to get caught up financially and continue to help our parents maintain their independence. We know and appreciate that there are so many people in need, and it was with great hesitation that we set up this GoFundMe. We hope you will consider donating or helping us get this GoFundMe page out on social media.