Help Change the Fate of an American

Hello, my name is Heather Bowles and I'm starting a GoFundMe page for my father, Doug Marinello.  He is 66 years old, a Vietnam era vet and an old school patriot  that loves his country. .   Today, as we approach the holidays he is recovering at home after an extensive abdominal cancer surgery referred to as a “Whipple Procedure”, recovering  from the removal of part of the pancreas, and bile duct, the gallbladder several lymph nodes and other related affected areas,

In December he will be begin a 10 month course of Chemo and Radiation Therapy.
Doug’s doctors have told him that “ You have a very good chance of being cancer free after completing the treatments”  At this time he will be unable to continue past February or March without financial assistance.

We are a small and loving family, his sister, my aunt Cathy and I are the only surviving relatives in contact with them. I live in North Carolina, Cathy lives in Nevada, he and Sylvia live in East Tennessee and we are unable to spend time with them. We are both doing what we can financially but it is not and will not be enough.
Doug and Sylvia live in a very rural area, in a small mobile home, it is a 100 mile round trip to the medical center in Knoxville. Sylvia is unable to work and has become his full time caregiver. At this time their only income is Doug’s social security which barely covers the home and utility payments

Transportation, medication, laboratory  and co-pay bills are piling up, their savings is about gone and they are facing the very real possibility of losing their home and of  Doug not being able to complete the chemo and radiation therapy’s he will need in 2016.

I am starting this fund in the hopes that your compassion and generosity will allow him to complete the entire course of treatments and he and his wife Sylvia will be able the to stay in their home.

I feel it is important to share  his story so you can know more about the person who needs assistance at this critical point in his life.  Help him to better control his fate.   My father would never claim that he is special, and rarely asks others for help.

Before being diagnosed Doug had authored and published a book about reviving patriotism and the importance of  voting in the 2016 elections.
He had managed to save a small amount before being laid off in June of 2014, after several months of looking for but not finding work, he decided the time had come to make a commitment, to get involved and  started working on the book.
The goal was to complete and publish the book,  then return to work while promoting the project. 

One week after publication in September of this year,  he was diagnosed with Phase 2 Pancreatic Cancer. 
Fate had other plans, the completed book and the project have  been set aside but not abandoned.
The desire to finish what he started remains as a strong motivation during his recovery.

He is my father, he is a proud and honest man, I don't want his dream, or his life to end.
I pray he and his wife Sylvia will not lose the things they have worked long and hard for because of the cancer and the overwhelming and mounting debt.

I am praying that this site will help my father with his medical bills, transportation and living expenses, that your donations and support will add to the strength and determination he needs to regain his health.

I named the campaign "Help Change the Fate of an American".   Why?  Because my father is someone that many of us can relate to in some way.  He is a veteran and he believes that we each have an obligation to become active in preserving our nation and our freedoms.  Doug made a commitment to get involved and to help others become involved.

Fate has interrupted  and threatened his life as well as the work he started on behalf of our freedoms.

 My wish is that his story will touch those of us who know that if we believe we can achieve!  
If you appreciate patriots, support patriotism, or respect passion and commitment,  please take this opportunity to help someone that wants nothing more than to get back into the fight and through his efforts try to make a difference

Thank you for taking the time to read this, may God bless you and continue to bless and protect my father, our nation and its people. 
Any amount will be appreciated.
Please take a moment to share this message with others.

Heather Bowles
For more formation please visit    Dougs' web site