The Oehler Family - Glioblastoma is the WORST

***Update 6/14/24, Joshua passed away on 6/1/24. He fought hard for 8 months, but glioblastoma is an unwinnable battle. We knew that from the start but remained hopeful that we’d get more time with him than just 8 months. He was unimaginably kind and loving all the way through to the end. He was everyone’s favorite patient and was gracious even when in pain, even with just me, the person that he could be the most himself with and be unconditionally loved regardless. He never raised his voice or stopped saying please, thank you and I love you until he literally could no longer say anything at all. One of his biggest wishes is for me and the kids to stay in our home longterm, no small feat on a single income. We have some life insurance and a nest egg from this gofundme, small retirement funds, but the future is very unknown. So please know that anything raised here is helping us immensely to hopefully meet that goal and just take the stress off as I transition to being a widow and a single mom. We feel SO thankful for your help.

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***Update on 5/14/24, it has been 7.5 months and Joshua has been through radiation, three different kinds of chemo, optune, infusion treatments and after all of that, his glioblastoma tumor is still growing. Today, we made the hard choice to switch to hospice.

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***Update on 1/14/24, in 3.5 months, our beautiful community came together and raised $30,000 for us through GoFundMe. We've learned so much more since that first post on 9/29/23. Joshua has not only an inoperable brain tumor, but he has a stage 4 glioblastoma. It is in his right basal ganglia, which affects his whole left side. Although we are grateful that he is still cognitively himself, it is hard to go from playing a pick up soccer game on 8/27/23 to struggling to stand up and pivot from place to place. Anything sent to our family through GoFundMe, Venmo, Zelle, PayPal etc is being saved for the big expenses. It covered his power chair, a bridge to a donated lift and his upcoming Optune bill that will max our out of pocket cost for 2024 very quickly. Soon, it may start to cover health insurance for our family because his paid leave and FMLA are up. As these expenses mount in front of us, I will leave this fundraiser open for anyone who wants to donate. I don't have a crystal ball, but I do know that these next two years are going to be increasingly difficult in a million different ways. We send a big thank you to everyone who has already given our family so much. We feel your love and prayers everyday and are grateful beyond measure.

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***Update on 10/1/23, in 5 days our community came together and did something that I thought was unimaginable. You met our initial goal of $20,000. When I posted this fundraiser, I felt desperate to take the immediate financial burden off of Joshua's plate, and you all did that for us. I went ahead and raised the goal as I really have no idea how much time off and medical will actually cost us this year. Having this cushion of help has been the HUGEST relief. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

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9/29/23 - My name is Sara and I am fundraising for my family. My husband was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. As we step into this journey, we feel worried about how we will take care of our family when he needs to take time off for treatment. He is the primary bread winner in our family and as with most families these days, we don't have a lot of extra funds to cover a prolonged time off from work for either one of us. I hate that this even has to be a concern at a time like this. I also noticed that a lot of people are asking how to help and this really is the very best way to help us so that we can feel less stressed and focus on getting the best outcomes for him.

A little about Joshua. When I met him he worked long hours as a homeless shelter in Phoenix, which simultaneously getting his Master's degree in social work. He has always been a giver of his time and energy and expertise to make the world a little better for those who need help. These days, he gives all of his extra attention to our three beautiful children. He is so gentle with them, taking time to really make sure that they know they are loved and coaching their soccer teams to spend extra time with them. He is a wonderful husband and father.