FUND RAISER & LEAVE DONATION THREAD FOR FREEPER JEFF HEAD

Jim Robinson, the owner of FreeRepublic has graciously approved this Fund Raiser and Leave Donation thread that a number of us wanted to put together for well-known Freeper, and our friend, Jeff Head. (Moderators, please consider keeping this thread at the top of its category until the goals are reached.)

In December 2009 Jeff was diagnosed with bone cancer. A rare sacral chordoma was found on his sarcum. His only medical recourse is very major and dangerous surgery to completely remove his sacrum and then rebuild the structure. The two surgeries necessary are currently scheduled for April 27th and April 30th, 2010. This surgery will require a four month period of hospital stay, recovery, rehabilitation, and radiation at the MD Anderson Medical Center in Houston, Texas, which is 2000 miles away from Jeff's home in Idaho.

Any freeper who can, and who will not themselves be put out either financially or from a leave basis by so doing, is aksed to consider donating so as to help Freeper Jeff Head through this crisis. Your faith and prayers on behalf of Jeff and his family are also requested. There are two ways to help, monetarily and with leave. will track the donations here on this thread against the goals.

Jeff has good medical insurance, but the four month stay in Houston is going to require significant expense beyond his means including an apartment very close to MD Anderson with handicap services and gated for security. His rehabilitation will be a major effort and will not come cheaply, either in terms of pain and effort or cost. Jeff has an additional $1,000 per month he is applying in addition to maintaining his household in Idaho while he is gone. But for he and his wife Gail to stay in Houston for the four months is going to cost between $2,200 and $2,500 per month more than he has.

If you are willing, and able, you can donate funds to Jeff to help him while in Houston at the following link, either by PayPal, Credit Card, or by Check to the address indicated.

Any funds left over after Jeff's rehab will be donated on a 50/50 basis to the Chordoma Foundation which is a non-profit group dedicated to research and education about Chordoma Cancer, and to Freerepublic.com.

Jeff works for the US Bureau of Reclamation helping produce electricity and irrigation water for our nation in the intermountain west. And Federal Employee can donate leave to Jeff. Emploeeys of the Department of Interior should use the following PDF form:

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Pacific Northwest Regional Office
Attn: Voluntary Leave Transfer Program Coordinator, PN-7425
1150 N. Curtis Road, Suite 100
Boise, ID 83706-1234

This leave can only be used for the medical emergency and any leave remaining at the end of Jeff's medical emergency will be returned on a pro-rated basis to those who donated it.

Jeff has been keeping and posting a journal of his experience for as long as he can at the following two links:

If you want to understand Jeff's political, moral, and constitutional beliefs, which are very well published here on FR and around the web, use the following three links:

Jeff has also created a very popular Youtube video you most certainly will enjoy watching and which should be spread around in any case:

Thank you all for your outpouring, for your prayers, for your faith, and for your help.

It is so humbling...and also so uplifting to see and feel the help of so many good people. I thank you from the bottom of my heart from myself, and in behalf of my entire family. I only look forward to the time when I can overcome this (with God's help and in His will), and be once again in a position to help others as I am being helped.

Here's the latest update to my situation after a call we received on Friday from MD Anderson:

23rd Entry. Saturday March 26th, 2010, 1:30 PM

Nurse Sanchez from Dr. Rhines office contacted us late Friday. We are definitley on for the two surgeries on Tuesday, April 27th, and Friday April 30th.
They are now scheduling us to have individual meetings with each of the four surgical team that will be involved with the surgeries, as well as additional CT and MRI scans. They would like us to be in Houston prepared to start those appointments on April 12th.
So, Gail and I will be leaving early on April 9th and driving down to Houston. We may leave on April 8th, depending on the weather and how many miles of travel I can handle each day. I find that generally the day or two after changing my Fentanyl pain pacthes I fare better than the last day and a half or so between them.
Now the time for the surgery is coming quickly...even though I wish it did not have to be so, and am certainly not "looking forward" to itbut I am ready for it to arrive. It is a daunting and challening time that lies ahead, and I know that during the recovery and rehab my situation and condition will probably be worse than anything I have experienced thus far. But, I will at least know from a medical perspective that I am on a course that gives me the hope for progress and recovery, whereas current conditions hold only the promise for continually, steadily decreasing health and conditions as the cancer grows.
I know the good Lord has led me to the most cpabale medical hands available to treat this condition, and I know He is leading many people to He and His Son as a result of it. I am grateful for that knoweldge beyond words, and equally grateful for all of the compassion, help, prayers, faith, encouragement, and Christ-like things that have been done for myself and my family by so many caring, good souls all across this nation.
I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart and continue to witness of God and His will, and His Son, Jesus Christ. A love of God and His Son and an understanding and acceptance of the Atonement of Jesus Chrst for each of us is the sure path to happiness and healing that exists for any person. Irrespective of circumstance, of hardship, of travail, mistakes, errors, sin. sickness,..whatever ails you body, heart or soul. I am grateful for that knowledge and share it freely with all who read.
Please continue to remember us in your thoughts and prayers as we approach this very difficult experience and the four months, God-willing, of recovery and rehab that follow it.
Sincerely and in Christ,
Jeff

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