Nolan's Eye Surgery Fund
Donation protected
Hello folks! First I want to take a moment to thank you for visiting my GoFundMe page. Without your help and support, my brother Nolan will not be able to afford a critical surgery needed to save his eyesight.
First let me tell you a little bit about my oldest brother, Nolan. He is the first-born of four children, with me being the youngest. When I was born, my brother was already in high school; by the time I was old enough to play, he was an adult. I can remember how patient and loving Nolan was with me, playing board games together late into the night until we both fell asleep on the couch. Nolan was a gentle giant at 6'3" compared to my small 4-year-old stature. I loved, adored and looked up to my big brother, always hoping that I would grow up to be as smart, loving and patient as him.
About 13 years ago, following the birth of his fourth child, Nolan was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure. He was put on Glucatrol, and was told that he wouldn’t be insulin dependent, however, it became of great importance for Nolan to change his diet and daily habits; he successfully lost 85 pounds. Unfortunately, this only seemed to delay some of the effects that diabetes can have on the human body and on December 26, 2014 he began dialysis treatment, having a portacath surgically inserted into his chest. This invasive procedure came exactly 3 weeks after our other brother, Joe, passed away from quadriplegic complications.
By the end of January 2015, Nolan required the surgical removal of two toes, costing a total of $25,000. Up to this point, Nolan had not had any insurance to cover his mounting medical bills. After applying for and receiving Medicare in March, Nolan has had some relief regarding the increasing costs of his medical treatment. However, he began to lose and eventually completely lost the sight in his right eye due to optic nerve atrophy, and last month it was discovered that Nolan’s left eye is hemorrhaging. This will ultimately result in the retina permanently detaching. It is imperative that he have 2 surgeries to fix this problem, otherwise, he will be completely blind.
The first surgery is to drain the eye of blood that is causing massive swelling and pressure. The second is to cauterize the retina to prevent it from detaching, without which would result in total blindness. These two surgeries cost a total of $10,000, 80% of which is (thankfully!!!) covered by Medicare.
However, this leaves a balance of $2000 that a single father of 4 simply cannot afford alone. Nolan has continued to work full time to try and save as much money as possible, but it is clear that he will need financial help with this, since he is also raising his two youngest boys alone. If he loses his eyesight, not only will he no longer be able to work, but it will become even more difficult to be a single father. I fear that if Nolan loses his sight, he will plunge into a deep depression from which he will never escape.
Those of you who know me may have the impression that I am arrogant, self-centered and/or narcissistic. And all of these things can, at times be very true. But at this point, I am reduced to a scared little boy that just wants to help fix his big brother. I am not above begging or pleading. And it is for this reason that I implore you to give whatever amount you can so that I can help save my brother and my family from more heartache and pain. I thank you immensely from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.
First let me tell you a little bit about my oldest brother, Nolan. He is the first-born of four children, with me being the youngest. When I was born, my brother was already in high school; by the time I was old enough to play, he was an adult. I can remember how patient and loving Nolan was with me, playing board games together late into the night until we both fell asleep on the couch. Nolan was a gentle giant at 6'3" compared to my small 4-year-old stature. I loved, adored and looked up to my big brother, always hoping that I would grow up to be as smart, loving and patient as him.
About 13 years ago, following the birth of his fourth child, Nolan was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure. He was put on Glucatrol, and was told that he wouldn’t be insulin dependent, however, it became of great importance for Nolan to change his diet and daily habits; he successfully lost 85 pounds. Unfortunately, this only seemed to delay some of the effects that diabetes can have on the human body and on December 26, 2014 he began dialysis treatment, having a portacath surgically inserted into his chest. This invasive procedure came exactly 3 weeks after our other brother, Joe, passed away from quadriplegic complications.
By the end of January 2015, Nolan required the surgical removal of two toes, costing a total of $25,000. Up to this point, Nolan had not had any insurance to cover his mounting medical bills. After applying for and receiving Medicare in March, Nolan has had some relief regarding the increasing costs of his medical treatment. However, he began to lose and eventually completely lost the sight in his right eye due to optic nerve atrophy, and last month it was discovered that Nolan’s left eye is hemorrhaging. This will ultimately result in the retina permanently detaching. It is imperative that he have 2 surgeries to fix this problem, otherwise, he will be completely blind.
The first surgery is to drain the eye of blood that is causing massive swelling and pressure. The second is to cauterize the retina to prevent it from detaching, without which would result in total blindness. These two surgeries cost a total of $10,000, 80% of which is (thankfully!!!) covered by Medicare.
However, this leaves a balance of $2000 that a single father of 4 simply cannot afford alone. Nolan has continued to work full time to try and save as much money as possible, but it is clear that he will need financial help with this, since he is also raising his two youngest boys alone. If he loses his eyesight, not only will he no longer be able to work, but it will become even more difficult to be a single father. I fear that if Nolan loses his sight, he will plunge into a deep depression from which he will never escape.
Those of you who know me may have the impression that I am arrogant, self-centered and/or narcissistic. And all of these things can, at times be very true. But at this point, I am reduced to a scared little boy that just wants to help fix his big brother. I am not above begging or pleading. And it is for this reason that I implore you to give whatever amount you can so that I can help save my brother and my family from more heartache and pain. I thank you immensely from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.
Organizer
Daniel Ashford
Organizer
Borger, TX