For those of you who don’t know all the details, the last few months have brought enormous challenges for my in-laws, Charlie and Bev Lauren.

We’re hoping you can find a way to help support them right now in their hour of urgent need.

Their story: initially a series of rain storms earlier this year re-routed a river along the edge of their residence in Vermont, causing repeated home flooding and permanent loss of land.

What was merely a stroke of unfortunate and expensive bad luck became something much more serious and life threatening in October: Charlie was diagnosed with a high-risk form of MDS (blood cancer), a precursor condition to leukemia that requires urgent care.

He is undergoing weekly transfusions and other temporary treatments as he and the family await a stem cell match. On top of the MDS treatment has now come the need for extensive dental work, dentures and ongoing oral care to eliminate risk of life-threatening infections.

When it rains it pours and for Charlie and Bev, it’s pouring right now.

In Bev’s own words: “I hear others’ stories, I never thought I’d be writing my own after 51 years with the man I fell in love with my senior year in high school. On October 15, I first drove Charlie to the hospital. From that day forward the words I have heard from the doctors are what I hope no one has to hear for their loved one. But here I am on this journey now with Charlie. To speak humbly and graciously we need help. We will come through this with family and friends by our side. We are overcomers looking for ‘God’s wink’ every day.”

Fortunately a big chunk of the treatment for MDS is covered by insurance, but there’s a large financial gap.

In and out of the hospital on a weekly basis and weakened by his condition, Charlie isn’t working and Bev has transitioned to becoming his primary care giver.

In light of these challenges, we’ve established a $72,000 fundraising goal designed to cover the extensive dental work, mortgage and a portion of their living expenses pre and post stem cell transplant. The strategy is to use these funds to heal and restabilize in 2024 while a longer term plan is put in place.

We know you have many competing interests for your philanthropy. Any amount is appreciated and will go directly and immediately to the needs described here.

Thank you for your love, prayers and support!

This campaign is unpublished.