Support the Eckles Family's Journey for Health

I am Brett, and I am setting this up for the Eckles family in Bozeman.

Richard is a veteran who proudly served in the U.S. Navy as a military policeman for 21 years. He specialized as a military dog handler and trainer and was stationed in various overseas locations throughout his career, with deployments to the Middle East, namely Bahrain, Iraq, and Afghanistan. After Richard retired from active duty service, he and his wife, Iris, decided to move to Bozeman, MT, in 2011 to raise their 3 boys, who were 10, 8, and 2 years old at that time.

Richard attended college at Montana State University to pursue a degree in Entrepreneurship. He has been involved in the community of Bozeman both as a business owner and through various other activities—setting up new desks for a local elementary school, food donations for Haiti, etc. Before he got sick, he was working toward setting up a veteran's support organization. In August of 2022, he suffered a bout of pneumonia and was confined in the critical care unit for a week and went home needing supplemental oxygen. He has since been diagnosed with Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) and Stage 2 Adenocarcinoma lung cancer. The ILD is scarring his lung tissue, which makes the tissue stiff and not as able to send oxygen into his bloodstream. The VA has linked his respiratory condition and cancer to exposure to fumes from the burn pits during his deployments.

He currently has had a lobectomy in the upper lobe of his right lung and has suffered recurring bouts with pneumonia as well as a pulmonary embolism. Recent biopsy results have shown that he has new cancer in the lower lobe of his right lung, and his lung capacity is now very severe at only 30% of capacity. His supplemental oxygen needs are up to 6 liters per minute. He and Iris are headed to the Cleveland Clinic for additional testing and treatment options. They could be there for several weeks.

The VA is covering his medical expenses so far, but travel is expensive. Your donations will help defray their travel expenses for this trip. Any additional funds received over their actual expenses will be donated to cancer research.