Dear Friends,
My name is Rexford Stanford, and I’m reaching out on behalf of my best friend, Patrick Gear—a 61-year-old man who’s been fighting a long and incredibly difficult battle with larynx cancer. Patrick lost his voice box early in his 8+ years of treatment. Since then, he has endured radiation, chemotherapy, and multiple surgeries, and now lives with the lasting effects: he breathes through a stoma, communicates using an artificial larynx, suffers from severe upper spine deterioration that causes his head to hang forward, and is nearly blind due to advanced cataracts in both eyes.
About eight months ago, we were informed that the house we were renting a room in was being sold. We had very little time to relocate, and with Patrick’s only income being a small monthly Social Security check, our options were limited. We eventually found a small cottage in Holly Hill, FL, but it’s been extremely difficult to make ends meet, even with careful budgeting.
In April, Patrick had an appointment scheduled with an ophthalmologist to evaluate his cataracts. His Medicaid coverage, which would have fully covered the surgery, expired the day before the appointment—March 31st. He was automatically switched to Medicare, which unfortunately does not cover the same level of eye care, including the surgery he urgently needs.
We spent weeks making calls, trying to find an ophthalmologist who would accept Medicare. Eventually, we were able to schedule an appointment through Halifax Hospital’s Eye Care Unit for June 10th. But after examining Patrick, the doctor determined his cataracts were too severe for their team to handle and referred him to a specialist in Jacksonville.
Unfortunately, due to transportation and financial constraints, we had to miss the Jacksonville appointment.
We are now in a very tough spot. Patrick is in real danger of losing what little vision he has left, and we’re doing everything we can to keep a roof over our heads while navigating these medical hurdles.
I’m humbly asking for help—whether it’s a financial contribution, sharing this message, or connecting us with someone who might be able to assist. Every bit of support makes a real difference.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to read Patrick’s story. He’s a fighter, but he can’t do this alone—and I won’t let him.
With gratitude,
Rexford Stanford
