Together for Paul

Meet Paul
After graduating high school, Paul moved from a farm in rural West Virginia to start his design career as a student in the fashion program at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. After graduating, he worked as a designer in NYC before transitioning to corporate design management in Atlanta, GA. In 2008, he began strategic design consulting before cares of life and family brought him back to a very different West Virginia than the one he left as a young man. Since returning, he has worked to reintroduce himself to a community and environment of friends and family, that, while all still somewhat familiar, have all also decidedly changed.

A Health Crisis
One morning in mid-January of 2020, Paul had an unusual experience that led him to seek immediate medical attention. A battery of tests and specialist visits led to a daunting cancer diagnosis. In the onslaught of the global pandemic, Paul began a very intensive multi-disciplined and multi-faceted treatment program. It has put him through extreme physical and mental challenges that, according to conventional treatment protocol, will soon culminate in a major surgical procedure that will alter his body and life significantly. Post-surgery, he will need time to recover, become familiar with the changes, and learn new habits and behaviors.

To date, Paul has met these circumstances with remarkable fortitude, strength, courage, and hope. The extensive team of doctors and medical staff who support him has been enthusiastic about his progress, encouraging him to stay the course of their aggressive treatment plan because they feel he is a strong candidate for a successful outcome. Somewhere on the horizon, on the other side of this crisis, Paul pictures himself living a robust, though perhaps different life, where once again he will be making meaningful contributions to the lives of others as best he possibly can.

Help is Needed
Reflecting his general nature, Paul has always brought to his design career and personal relationships a generous commitment to use his gifts, talents, and resources to contribute to the good of others, whether it be their commercial successes or altruistic endeavors or personal dreams. He is now in the humbling position of asking for and receiving help and generosity himself. He has sought all avenues available in order to remain self-sufficient. However, the rigors of his treatment, anticipated results of surgery, and potential impact of risk of exposure with a vulnerable immune system during the pandemic has meant that Paul has had to take a leave from work and will likely be unable to work for the upcoming year and potentially beyond.

In order to focus on his treatment and recovery Paul needs financial assistance that will help him with rent, utility, living expenses, and beyond. We estimate need over the course of the next year to easily reach and possibly exceed $50,000.

Listed below are a rough breakout of costs for the sake of transparency and for quick and easy reference.

Expense Breakout:

• Rent and utilities and recent necessary re-location costs to be near treatment center: $15,000-20,000
• Living expenses and existing debt: $13,500-$15,000+
• Various accrued and currently budgeted out-of-pocket healthcare costs and multiple insurance premiums: $8,500-$11,200+
• Unforeseen expenses and other medical costs which are evolving daily and will continue to mount...roughly projected: $3,800-$9,200+

Total need estimate $50,000+

Again, help is very much needed...your help.

Thank you for your consideration and compassion as you decide how you are going to support and encourage this special person. A special person who has directly or indirectly been a sometimes subtle and sometimes overt blessing to so many. And, a person who sincerely and enthusiastically wants to continue to be a blessing to so many more; hopefully even a blessing to you.