Goal:
USD $100,000
Raised:
USD $39,001
Campaign funds will be received by Joseph Cook
God Bless your family!
Brother Joseph. God will keep you in his perfect peace. Praying for you your family
May you go with God!
July 22nd, 2024
Dear Friends,
Thank you, each one, for your past support in various ways! It means more than we know how to say!!
PLEASE PRAY!!!
Joseph has just not been doing as good after returning from Germany this time. (To be clear, this second trip, including all his treatments, was almost completely covered by a couple of parties.) He has only been able to work two or three days a week before needing to rest and recoup. He is doing his best to follow his doctor’s orders so that he does not run his health down again from pushing too hard. However, the weight of our present bills as well as the past medical debt, looms large in his mind. He’s continually tempted to push much too hard in order to provide for us.
Additionally, the place we have been renting for the past five years, changed hands due to one of the owners passing away. We learned today that we have until August 31st. to find a new place to rent. With this new development, we are realizing we will have more expenses than we can handle with moving.
In light of this we felt an update would be helpful as we trust God to provide (as He always faithfully has) in whatever way He chooses. We pray God will bless all who have been and are being a part of His provision for us!
May 29th, 2024
Praise God!! Our immediate need is down to $6,250 already! Thanks so much to all that have given on here and directly to us.
May 14th, 2024
Because of the love & kindness of a few, our present need is down to $8,475
A huge “Thank you” to those that have prayed and given so far! It means so much to know others are helping to carry our load!
Joseph, Lora, Nathan and Alena
May 9th, 2024
Thank you for your patience, finally, after a many emails back and forth, we satisfied the donation processor. Donations should work fine now!
May 6th, 2024
Hello, Friends!
The last 15 months have been wonderful, to say the least, WITHOUT the Lyme and co-infection symptoms I had battled for 9 years prior! I am so thankful for this gift from our Heavenly Father!
I returned to my much loved profession of carpentry and attempted to dig out of our medical debt. Then recently I had a variety of old symptoms pop up and they began progressing rather quickly. Since our oldest son, Benjamin, and his wife and children were already in Germany for his cancer treatment; we made arrangements for me to join them to get two weeks of treatment. We both see the same doctor, so they offered for me to stay with them and ride with them, to help save money. Also, the doctor was willing to give us a substantial break in the cost of treatment this time.
My wife and two children at home stayed in the States during this time. The two weeks of treatment did not go as any of us had planned, and I began feeling really rough. My doctor says another two weeks of treatment would be better to get me back to a good spot. My Bartonella co-infection and the mold infections are likely the culprit along with physically working too hard. My doctor is now telling patients with this infection to plan on getting one or two weeks of IV treatment yearly to keep it in check and to really care for our bodies as best we can. Hopefully this can happen next time at the new clinic opening soon in the States.
This type of Bartonella goes deep and seems impossible to fully get rid of. So in order to fight to be well enough to work and support my wife and children, I am away for five weeks getting treatment and my income is again on hold.
Thank you for your love, prayers, and support! We thank God for all of His provision, and pray He will bless all who are a part of helping us during our battle against Lyme and co-infections.
At this point, our current immediate need is $11,000 (please forgive my changes, more bills just showed up!)
Joseph
February 2nd, 2023
Hello to everyone in this new year that we have been blessed to see! We all have so many blessings to be thankful for!
We had hoped to be able to close this fund by now, but have had an unexpected bump in our plans. Our oldest son, Benjamin, (age 29) was hospitalized about two and a half weeks ago and diagnosed with cancer. He and his wife, Heidi, were in the process of moving. We have been very busy helping them wrap up loose ends and have been caring for their two little girls, aged 3 and 2. Benjamin and Heidi are currently in Germany getting cancer treatment for him with the same doctor that treated Joseph’s Lyme disease. Please pray for Benjamin's little family!
This unexpected occurrence has slowed down the process of finding work for Joseph. He has been putting in job applications in between the extra family needs. He has also been learning he cannot push too hard physically, as he is having a lot of very sore muscles that need strengthened again. Please join us in prayer while he actively searches for work suitable to his physical limitations and also enough to support his family.
There is still a need to help bridge the financial gap until suitable work is found. Thank you so much for your support, love, and patience! May God bless each one of you for your kindness to us!
December 14th, 2022
Hello, everyone! Thank you for all of your support in the past - it means so much!!
We are safely back from Germany, and so grateful for the opportunity to treat with this doctor! We are praising God for the treatment results. For the first time in almost 9 years Joseph has no Lyme symptoms and feels normal, except for muscles needing to be strengthened. He has been able to stop most of his nutritional supplements and some of his medications. He is looking for work that he can manage physically that will earn enough. His doctor has recommended that he start out with work that is not very strenuous physically.
There is still a need for some income for living expenses to help bridge the gap until Joseph is able find work and receive pay. He is checking into a few different options. Extra funds will be applied toward the $60,000 medical debt from our earlier medical expenses.
May God bless each of you for your kindnesses and support during Joseph’s long Lyme disease journey! It has been a huge blessing and help to us!
November 12th, 2022
Hello, everyone - we hope each of you are doing well! Grace and peace to all!
We are very excited to share that we were gifted $40,000 to travel to Germany for Lyme treatment. We can hardly comprehend this enormous blessing!! Joseph just completed his first week of treatment here, and is tolerating it pretty well.
Our expenses are covered until we arrive back in the states December 10. At that time Joseph hopes to feel well enough to start finding work he can do to earn a living. However, we have been strongly advised to not go too fast so that he doesn’t regress! We will post an update when we get back to let you know how he is doing. There may be a small transition time until regular income is coming in.
Thank you so much, all of you have helped to lift our burden! It truly has made a huge difference in our lives, and it will always be precious to us!! May God bless you!
September 19th, 2022
Hello, and thank you all immensely for helping to support us during this long, difficult illness!!!
We are currently hoping to get Joseph treatment in Germany. More details on this was posted on our last update. We have been keeping in touch with current Lyme patients who have been receiving treatment from this German doctor. One patient contacted the Lyme and co-infections in Carlisle, PA near where we lived when Joseph contacted it. His health issues have been similar, and he is making amazing progress with this treatment. This has been very encouraging to us!
Our current need:
1. Funds to cover our regular monthly expenses, $5,200
2. Funds to be put toward treatment in Germany to help Joseph get well and be able to work for a living. $38,000 total.
3. Extra beyond these needs would be put toward medical debt.
We cannot thank everyone enough for your support, but pray that God will bless each one richly for it!!!
August 12th, 2022
Hello, everyone! Thank you so very, very much for your prayers, loving care, and financial gifts that have helped make it possible for us to "stay afloat" throughout this medical journey! We have some new developments to share with you that are exciting to us and may be an answer to prayers for wisdom.
We learned through a Lyme support group that a 12 year old boy from the U.S. had been very sick for almost 5 years with Lyme, co-infections, and mold toxicity (very similar to Joseph). He also had poor detox ability with sensitivities to light, sound, and touch and had seen many doctors with little success. His parents were told of a German doctor that believed he could help him. They flew to Germany for a 3 week treatment. His symptoms were gone by the time the treatment was finished, and he was feeling like playing soccer again.
We were able to get a free 45 minute phone consult with this doctor. After reviewing Joseph's case, he responded that he believed Joseph has a 95% chance of being at least 80% better after 3 to 4 weeks of treatment. He has been able to successfully treat other patients with similar symptoms and diagnosis as Joseph. We were told that many people in the U.S. discredit this doctor due to how little the treatment costs.
This doctor uses a method that has been used for 60 years to cure cancer. He began using it 3 years ago successfully for Lyme patients. This treatment is not currently done in the U.S., and the order of the treatment is opposite than here. We are understanding that Joseph should feel well enough after the treatment to at least be able to work part-time, and maybe more. For more information on this treatment you may contact us directly.
Funds that would be needed in order for Joseph to travel to Germany for this treatment with his wife and 2 children at home would be $35,000 to $40,000. This would cover passports, plane fare, 3 to 4 weeks of treatment, food, transportation, and lodging. This is in contrast to 3 months at the clinic in Florida for $150,000. (He was previously there for treatment in 2018.)
We trust God to continue guiding us in coming days, and greatly appreciate your support and prayers as we navigate through this illness! May God bless you each one!
July 27th, 2022
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the kindness each of you have shown to us by helping and supporting us along this journey in various ways!
New developments since last month:
1. Joseph was able to have an appointment with a sleep specialist to have an exam to get fitted for an appliance to help correct his sleep apnea. The dentist was very surprised when he took Joseph’s measurements. He thought he was one of the worst cases he had ever seen! 🙃 The measurement at the top of the throat opening when the tongue is at rest in most people averages 20 mm. A drinking straw is 5 mm. Joseph’s opening is 3.5 mm! The appliance will help keep his jaw forward to open up that area while sleeping.
2. We are researching ways to help calm down Joseph’s sensitivities that may be connected with Mast Cell activation. This would hopefully help him be able to tolerate higher levels of treatment. If this works perhaps we can continue with his present doctor without going to a more expensive specialist further away.
We desire your prayers for wisdom as we endeavor to navigate through this challenging illness that can take time to overcome!
There continues to be a need for further finances for treatment, living, and medical debt expenses.
May God bless each of you for your kind care is our prayer!
June 24th, 2022
We are deeply grateful for the ongoing love and support that has been so kindly given to us! Thank you each one!!
New developments since last month:
1. The new detox medication Joseph received last month prescribed at half the normal dosage was too strong for him, so his doctor cut his dose in half again.
2. Joseph’s high blood pressure issue caused us to take a closer look at his sleep apnea that he has had for a long time. It has gotten worse the last while with some weight gain from being unable to exercise much. An in-home sleep study test revealed severe obstructive sleep apnea. We are looking into treatment for that, which could give him a boost in healing.
3. We have been concerned the last two or three months that Joseph seems to be going backwards again. We were noticing more weakness in his legs with increasing difficulty walking. Also, along with sensitivity to light,sound, and touch he is now developing sensitivity to some chemical smells such as fragrances and bug spray. This causes his lungs to suddenly tighten with gasping/coughing spasms until he is away from the smell. Through the generosity of a donor, we were able to have a doctor appointment earlier this week. She believes Joseph needs a specialized mold/Lyme doctor due to the rarity and severity of his illness. We are in the process of praying and processing this information.
We have many things to be thankful for, and here are a few of our recent blessings:
1. Joseph’s doctor unexpectedly charged us $80 less than usual
2. His doctor was also able to give a prescription for a mouthpiece to be made for his sleep apnea that saved $90 to have another doctor do it.
3. Someone provided us a free place to stay overnight after the doctor appointment, since it would have been too much for Joseph to travel back home the same day.
May God bless you each one, for your interest and help during this difficult time for our family!!
We have a couple of prayer requests.
1. Joseph longs (Lord willing) to be able to enjoy working and supporting his family again. He also misses being able to go to church and doing activities with his family. He spends most of his time in his recliner. He desires prayer to stay patient in his afflictions and for endurance for his caregiving wife.
2. We desire your prayers for wisdom for how to treat going forward!
“The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” ~ Nahum 1:7
May 18th, 2022
We are deeply grateful for everyone that has helped support us during Joseph’s illness! May God bless you!
Joseph was able to get his new medicine 3 days ago. It will take a little time to see if it will actually work for him. Meanwhile, a serious development has occurred. His blood pressure has gone up (he never had trouble before), so he has a new prescription for that.
The Lyme and co-infection treatment has been put on hold for a few months while detoxing mold, in order to help the Lyme treatment to be more effective. However, since the mold treatment has had to be done so slowly due to a genetic detox problem, his doctor feels his Lyme and co-infections may need treating again soon. We are concerned about the slowness of this process (though it is a less expensive route) than a specialized clinic. We are praying for wisdom going forward. Prayers are appreciated!
We are out of living expense/treatment money once again, but trust God to supply our needs. Our monthly outgo has been around $5,200. Any extra that comes in beyond that will be put toward medical debt and/or treatment.
Thank you for your care and loving support! We pray God will reward each one of you!
April 14th, 2022
We continue to thank God for providing for us up to this point with food, clothing, medicines, as well as a roof over our heads! However, we are currently out of treatment and living expense funds once again; and are praying that God will continue to provide for our desperate needs as we face new deadlines. We have an immediate need of $5,200. We trust Him to make a way through this, as our needs are over our heads. He is so faithful! We do not know how God will choose to provide, but know that He is able and loves to provide for His children.
Joseph has been unable to work for almost two years now, and it is a miracle that money trickles in as we need it. We would like to share a couple of these more recent instances with you. We had an older washer and dryer set. The washer had been repaired by us 3 or 4 times in the past, and was needing a major repair soon that would not be worth making. Someone offered an almost new set to us for free if we could use them. Another time we had an important blood test that was needed along with a couple of other bills that needed paying by a fast approaching deadline. We began praying about it earnestly, and the next day $800 came from one donor that covered our needs just in time. This is the God we serve - praise His name!!
We believe Joseph is beginning to see some small improvements. He had an appointment with his doctor yesterday. She is prescribing a new medication to help detox his mold better, hopefully. She said it is a real game changer for some. We pray it will be helpful for him too, Lord willing! He will drop another medicine and replace it with this one.
It encourages us greatly to see God’s love coming through many of you that are helping to support us during this valley we find ourselves in. Thank you each one, and may God be praised for his goodness!! We pray a special blessing will be given to each of you. Please feel free to share this need far and wide.
March 3rd, 2022
January 31st, 2022
We continue to rejoice in God's faithfulness to provide for our needs and for the love shown to us by so many of you during this difficult time!
Currently, treatment funds are ending again. Up to this point, Joseph has been able to get weekly IVs, prescriptions, and nutritional supplements that he's been prescribed. He was also able to have another follow-up doctor visit. His doctor changed one prescription medication to a different strength that is actually quite a bit cheaper and will hopefully help reduce his inflammation. (He is still battling bone pain, and strong, knifing headaches that cause nausea). She also offered to add Joseph to a group of doctors that she works with that do case studies on difficult patient cases. These doctors all specialize in mold/Lyme treatment. This is free advice from several doctors' experiences, so we are thankful for this opportunity!
"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed because His compassions fail not." - Lamentations 3:22. May God be praised for His sustaining mercies to us, and we are thankful for all who have reached out to us. May God bless you each is our prayer!
December 21st, 2021
December 17th, 2021
December 9th, 2021
October 15th, 2021
September 18th, 2021
July 26th, 2021
July 26th, 2021
June 17th, 2021
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