The goal of this fundraiser is to raise money for my grandpa Richard O. Bauer Sr. whose wife Marlene L. Bauer passed away after a long and courageous battle with leukemia on November 16, 2013. When you look into his eyes, you can tell that my grandpa is not the same man that he once was when my grandma was alive. You can also tell that he cares about his family so much that he tries very hard to mask his grief so that we are not reminded of it ourselves. My grandpa is the most amazing man who would never ask for help from anyone, but could use it very badly. He struggles to pay his bills and does not qualify for federal assistance. Worst of all, without help, he will never be able to afford hearing aids, which he desperately needs. His hearing is so poor that he is only able to hear the television when the volume is at the maximum level and an additional stereo system is used as well. My goal is to help him get the hearing aids that he needs and to also raise money that will help him pay both his personal bills and residual medical bills so that he no longer needs to worry about money.
As John Green points out in The Fault in Our Stars, my favorite novel, “The world is not a wish-granting factory.” My name is Abraham Freybler, I am 20 years old and I will be a junior in college this fall. I am one of eight grandchildren who all love our grandparents with all of our hearts. It was always my wish that both of my grandparents would be able to attend my wedding someday and would be able to meet my children, but that wish will unfortunately never come true. As I mentioned before, my grandma now looks down on our family from Heaven. She means a lot to me and this is her story. I wanted to start this fundraiser as a surprise to my grandpa and my family, so I do not know specific dates. However, I will give you the details and that is what is important.
In the beginning, roughly five-six years ago, my grandma was diagnosed with colon cancer, which she battled for many months. Doctors were able to remove the lower part of her colon in order to prevent the cancer from spreading to other parts of her body. Although this surgery did work and the colon cancer was put to rest, she was considered very lucky considering her age and the location of the cancer. She was cancer free up to a few years ago when a much more devastating type of cancer was detected.
A few years ago, my grandmother was diagnosed with acute leukemia. This type of cancer is relatively rare and occurs when abnormal white blood cells accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. Her chemotherapy treatment began as soon as the cancer was detected and she spent many months in bed at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. Combining my grandmother’s age, the fact that she has already had colon cancer, and how rare acute leukemia is, doctors initially believed that her chances of surviving were slim to none. Unknown to most people, my grandmother had an extremely strong will to live. The cancer was eventually put into remission and she was considered a miracle patient. The doctors even nicknamed her the “Iron Woman.”
For nearly six months she was cancer free and felt normal again. Around that time, she began to feel weak like when she was going through chemotherapy and she knew something was not right. She went back to the doctor where an abundance of tests were run to try and figure out what was wrong, but the cause of her discomfort could not be found. Finally, doctors found out that she had been living with preleukemia for many years prior to the diagnosis of her acute leukemia. This occurs when the bone marrow fails to produce enough healthy blood cells. There is no cure for preleukemia and the disease may redevelop into leukemia again.
My grandma went to the doctor almost every day for chemo shots and blood transfusions in order to treat the preleukemia and prolong her life. Doctors performed this treatment for months. Her blood counts went up, but she felt worse than she ever did before. It wasn’t until she got so sick and was admitted to the hospital that her doctors found out that she had mucor, a rapidly growing and extremely deadly fungus, in her nose. With this discovery, my grandma was only given a maximum of two weeks to live. Everyone who could, including myself, rushed to the hospital as soon as humanly possible. By the time that I got to the hospital, only a day after her diagnosis, my grandma was already unconscious. I told her how much I loved her, as did the rest of my family, before she passed away on the night of Saturday, November 16, 2013 at the age of 78. She will forever be remembered for her beauty and strength. Despite her will to live, her final battle was one that simply could not be won.
The death of my grandma destroyed my grandpa, as they were true soul mates. Evidence of this can be found in their home where you will find love notes written on mushrooms. Yes, very large mushrooms that grow on trees. Pictures together and with family are also scattered throughout the living room. My grandparents got married on July 2, 1955. This means that on July 2 of this year, they would have been married 59 years.
Without my grandma, you can tell that my grandpa is lost. He tries to fill his time by watching television, talking on the phone with his children (my mom, aunt and uncle), doing housework and attending my brothers’ baseball games. It is quite apparent though they he consistently thinks about his wife and worries about his financial situation. Your donation will help alleviate the stress in his life caused by money and help him get the hearing aids he desperately needs. On behalf of both myself and my family, I would like to say thank you for reading my grandma’s story and for helping my grandpa if you are able. Please share our story with your friends and family. Thank you!