A Friend in Need- Joshua's Fight with Cancer (GoFundMe)

Hey, folks! I was hoping to gain your attention or two and possibly your help with something that hit me pretty hard over the weekend. On Sunday, I learned that one of my good friends had been diagnosed with a rare, severe form of colon cancer.

His name is Joshua Strother. He’s only 32 years old. He's received a crushing diagnosis- he’s expect to lose at least 97% of his colon. Jesus. “At least”. A 32-year old. It’s almost too frustrating and abstract to type. His family’s goal is to raise $50,000 to assist with his treatment and recovery expenses that are, even now, becoming overwhelming. You can read more about Josh and his current situation at the GoFundMe link below:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/20z55hufg0

Josh and I met while gaming online nearly 10 years ago. When gaming, you often spend hours on end with your teammates working toward shared goals. You learn about their character and personal code of ethics. You hear stories of their real-life triumphs and struggles. You become friends. With the right people, like Joshua, the bond can reach past a 20-year age gap and extend well beyond a headset and screen filled with moving pixels.

It is just so very difficult for me to use words to express just how genuinely good a guy Josh is. Without a doubt, he's simply one of the best people I've ever met; talented, vibrant, loyal, and truly decent. When the pandemic hit, the first non-family member I checked on was Josh. I never thought I’d write something like this to ask for prayers, best wishes, and yes, donations of any size to help someone who has grown so dear to me. Josh is proud. He didn’t ask me to write this. That’s not him. But he’s my friend, so “asking” is not a requirement.

On a personal level, Josh's situation also drives really close to home. My father is a colon cancer survivor. Three years ago, my wife endured a month in the hospital and six surgeries to diagnose and remove a life-threatening intestinal blockage. So I know first hand how crushing it can be to look at medical bills rolling in and to not know what in world you're going to do about it. I know exactly how it feels to hold someone's hand while they're in agony and tell them each day that the next one will be better. My family has been fortunate. I want to pay that forward to Josh.

But right now, medical expenses are piling up at the worst possible time for Josh and his family. It’s a huge elephant in the room. You you can only eat one of those a bite at a time, so I’m dedicated to help chew it up any way I can. If you click on the GoFundMe link above and put even a tiny bite into that elephant-sized goal with a donation of any size, you’re a hero. Ditto if you can't donate but can commit to passing his story along to friends. Everything that's helpful, helps- prayers included.

Please accept a sincere thank you from me and from Josh for taking the time to read. I’d also like a special thanks to Boss for being kind enough to allow me to share Joshua’s story.

~Steel