Duane Bosteel

As some of you may know, 2017 has been a year of personal tragedies and health difficulties for my family.  Saturday, August 19th marked another; my father, Duane, had a stroke. Here's the good news: he remains physically strong and has suffered no loss of cognitive ability.  However, he has lost vision in his left eye. It's currently unknown whether his vision will improve or if this stroke is an isolated event. Though there are many positive signs about his recovery, this lost of vision affects his life in some fundamental ways. He cannot, for instance, drive to the shop he owns to open the doors. He needs rehabilitative treatment. He is 64 years old, ineligible for Medicare, and currently uninsured by other means.

My mother, Ellen, faces an intensifying battle with cancer, and recently began chemo-therapy. We're hopeful about her course of treatment, but the disease limits the mobility of her left arm, and the treatment saps her of energy. Her ability to work is also limited. Together, their ability to care for each others' hurts is diminished. 

My Mom and Dad are two of the kindest, hardest working people you'll ever meet. They invest so much in their family and friends. They value love, inclusion, and gentleness, and they embody these values in everything they do and say. The world seldom rewards goodness of spirit justly. It falls to us, the people who care for them, to do what we can instead. 

In short, they need the support and help of their family and friends. 

If you can call, please call. If you want to write to them, please do. If you're able to visit, please visit.


We'll continue to post updates about Dad's condition here.