Terminal illness expenses for Duran Watkins

I am coming to our community and friends today to ask for any assistance available for the family of Homer “Duran” Watkins. Since November of 2021, his daughter, Danielle Watkins, has been by his side for doctors appointments, cancer treatments, late night trips to the emergency room, and constantly advocating for her dad’s health and willingness to fight this battle for as long as he possibly could.

The time line of events for Duran’s illness goes as follows:

I took him to the ER for a Covid test on 11/27/21 an on 11/29 they found lesions in his liver. They did a biopsy and it came back that it had not originated there. They did more tests and later found it in his pancreas and spleen. He started chemo on 12/15 — the most aggressive treatment plan they could use to try to stop it. They found out in late January that it was inoperable. They placed a peg tube to help with nutrition because chemo was absolutely terrible on him. On 2/14/22 they told him that his illness was terminal and that chemo was only going to help slow it down. On 2/23 I brought him to ER for high heart rate and tube displacement. They did a CT scan and said the lesions on his liver had grown and spread and that his tube had caused an infection and he was septic. He was put in ICU. As of March the 4th he was still in ICU and underwent 2 surgeries in the same week on his stomach. As of today, March 7th, Duran was sent home on hospice. He is spending his last days in the loving care of his daughter and close family.

Danielle has spent the majority of the past five months on unpaid leave to care for her father and spend as much time with him as possible by his side. She has paid out of pocket for many of the chemotherapy treatments that Duran’s insurance would not cover. Regardless of the cost, Danielle has provided any treatment available in an effort to help her dad win this battle. Duran is his daughter’s best friend and an amazing grandfather to her children. Danielle directly credits her father for becoming the self sufficient woman and mother that she is today. As Duran and Danielle prepare to face the inevitable the reality of the financial cost of end of life care and arrangements is looming. Duran and Danielle have made all of the arrangements for his final wishes, but they are in need of our help to complete those final steps. Danielle has only asked for assistance in the cost for the funeral which is $10,000. Anything we are able to raise outside of that would greatly benefit her family as they navigate these next few trying months and the weight of all of the medical expenses.