UPDATE 6/3/2019: Here's what the Go Fund Me campaign is helping me to do:
Mom's settled at Parkhouse Nursing and Rehabilitation - in order to keep that going, I need to finish filing her taxes, so I have part of the pile of paperwork resources necessary to apply for Medicaid (project 1); the house needs to be sold, so the house needs to be cleared out sooner rather than later, so I'll be here another two weeks sorting and packing to load up a rental truck to road trip back to Minnesota with me - there'll be professional help needed to get certain items loaded and unloaded, plus the cost of the truck, gas, an overnight in a hotel, etc. (project 2).
Mom's doing OK in her new surroundings, and the radiation treatments start next week, so that's a blessing - took us the whole month of May and nearly half of June to get there. Just a lot of work yet to do, to get from Pennsylvania back to Minnesota. The support work long distance to the family will, of course, continue (managing the finances, processing the paperwork, advocating for Mom's care over the phone, the sale of the house), but at least I'll be back at the two jobs earning money again.
Anything you can do to help, either spreading word of the campaign below, or throwing in a couple of bucks yourself, is appreciated.
All my thanks and gratitude to those who have given and helped spread the word so far. You've made me cry in a good way, for which I'm grateful. When the dust settles, I'll reach out personally with thanks to each of you. It means a lot.
Further details below:
ORIGINAL POST 5/21/2019: Feels a little weird to do this, to be honest, but this is the situation we're in.
I'm still in Pennsylvania helping my family deal with the fact that my mother has a brain tumor - which is inoperable, and even with treatment probably gives her at best 12 months.
Here's the Caring Bridge page on the situation: https://www.caringbridge.org/public/beverleeeverett
On top of mom's health, there's the finances, and the house, all of which need to be dealt with at once (oh, and yes, the grieving before, during and after, which most days I can't really allow myself to factor in or I couldn't function).
I'm going to need another week or so here to wrap my arms around the whole thing and get some systems in place. Then I will also need to return, probably once a month, to continue dealing in person with things that can't be done remotely by phone or online from Minnesota. So plane or train tickets, moving trucks, plus the lost income from my second job during those times away, where I've already used up what PTO I had (and where it's not possible for anyone to donate me theirs, much as they might want to).
So my friend Carolyn has set up this Go Fund Me campaign to help raise money to support me in getting these tasks accomplished.
Here's the link - https://www.gofundme.com/supporting-matthew-everett
I realize things are tough all over these days, so if you can't give, no worries. Just spreading the word of the campaign to others is helpful. Even words of support we've received have been enormously helpful. But if you can give, even a little, it's greatly appreciated.
(Photo, my brother Mark taking advantage of a sunny day while Mom was still at Phoenixville Hospital to get her outside for a bit)