Fresh off a day of giving thanks for the blessings that have been bestowed on my family, I would like to share the story of another family – one that is in need of your help. Bryan Madden is an Ohio native who is currently living with his new bride, Tashi Nicole King in Colorado. I came to know Bryan through his mother Pam Madden, an amazing woman, family friend, and the certified nurse midwife who helped bring both of my children into this world. If you frequented Trader Joe’s in Kettering in the last few years, you may remember Bryan as the “cool guy with the dreads” who was always happy to help people. Bryan and Tashi are going through a difficult time and they could use your help. Their story is being chronicled on the web at http://www.tashiking.blogspot.com/ The following text is from a recent post on the site and it explains their situation:
As many of you know by now, Tashi Nicole King has been diagnosed with Stage IV Breast Cancer. You may remember Tashi from Boulder High School (Class of 1993) or her brother Amani (Class of 1987). Tashi married after college and moved to Nicaragua where her daughter, Xola Rose (pronounced Zola) was born in May of 2003. Xola was born with a genetic disorder called Trisomy 13. Eighty percent of babies born with this disorder die within their first month. However, thanks to Tashi’s unrelenting spirit and her determination to do everything possible to care for her, Xola lived happily until she was almost 5 years old. On Feb. 27, 2008 Tashi held Xola for the last time; roughly a year and a half before being diagnosed with cancer.
On August 15, 2009 Tashi married Bryan Patrick Madden. Bryan has been a tremendous support to Tashi since losing her daughter and they were looking forward to starting a family of their own. They were saving to start building a house on their mountain property outside of Boulder. However, these plans have all been put on hold due to the cancer.
Tashi had a single mastectomy to remove the tumor in her breast, lymph node dissection and a port placed, during which time her lung collapsed and she had emergency surgery. The cancer has spread to her liver and was found in several additional lymph nodes. Currrently, Tashi is undergoing an intensive course of chemotherapy, which will be followed by radiation and likely more surgery.
In the meantime, Tashi continues to make payments on her deceased daughter’s medical bills. In addition, Tashi’s own medical bills are beginning to pile up and this is only the beginning. Unfortunately her student health insurance policy is limited and has almost reached it’s maximum payout. This means that Tashi will effectively be without insurance coverage.
Only one week after having the mastectomy, Tashi went back to work because of her financial situation. My hope is that through people’s generous donations we can raise enough money for Tashi to focus on getting well rather than worrying about mounting medical bills. She continues to attend Naropa University where she is finishing a Master’s degree in Somatic Counseling Psychology.
If you are able, please make a donation to the Tashi King Fund. Even if you can only afford $10 in these difficult economic times, please contribute. Any amount, whether its $10 or $100 will help. Forward this email to anyone who may know Tashi or Amani, those who have been touched by breast cancer, fellow women, mothers, and/or anyone else who might care. Thank you so much for your support!
On behalf of Bryan, I am asking you to help them to get through this difficult time by making a donation and sharing this story with others who may be able to lend a hand.
