Support Matthew's Fight for Health and Home

My name is James Matthew Harris and I have been fighting the after effects of COLON CANCER and ITS TREATMENT.

After my beloved wife of 22 years tragically died of a rare vulvar cancer at only 42 years of age in 2022, I myself was diagnosed with colon cancer, then treated for it through a combination of surgery and chemotherapy.

Midway through my chemotherapy, my insurance plan was lost. This made the price of chemotherapy much more than I could afford.

I have had many very painful incidents of diverticulitis that have resulted in my incapacitation. Because I was in mourning prior to the surgery and because this grief led me to a very sedentary list of activities, my stomach muscles weakened tremendously which lead to the formation of hydrocele on each testicle. This also forces me to sleep sitting upright because the pain from pressure being put upon the testicles.

All of these things make it nearly impossible to work (or sleep) in any capacity. I have tried my absolute best, delivering food for Uber Eats when possible, working from home as a freelance consultant, etc. but it is nowhere near enough to attain health insurance, necessary medications, to keep a roof over the heads of myself and my teenage son’s heads, to keep us fed, and to meet our other basic needs.

With the encouragement of dear friends, I’ve accepted that I truly need to ask for help and community support. We have been staying in a condo owned by elderly relatives but now they need to sell it, and soon. We will be evicted with nowhere to go if I cannot raise at least $1000 by August 1st (08/01/2024). Apartment rentals in our area generally cost within a range of $900-$1400 per month, plus most require a security deposit, there will be some moving related expenses, etc. too.

Doctors have told me that a constant level extreme stress like this exacerbates the testicular swelling too. It’s all a vicious cycle of survival and it needs to pause if nothing else to let me catch my breath. Please help me catch a break so I can get back on my feet again enough to have a stable home, be able to work even a little bit again, hopefully as soon as possible.

Despite it all, including severe debilitating chronic pain and frequent ER visits, I do everything I can to help other people, too, including volunteering within my community- particularly in the area of obtaining resources such as food, serving it up, and ensuring that the community’s morale stays high.

Your generous and compassionate donations will be used for the above and my eternal gratitude will be yours. If there is any extra money after the fundamental needs are met, it will be kept in reserve until my health has become fully stable and 30 days have passed. Afterwards, the remainder will be added to the account of another individual in need on the Go Fund Me site!

Warmest regards,

Matthew Harris

(who is also known

by the moniker of

“Frater FDISK”