By Nancy Eshelman, Columnist
Cancer may invade one body, but it impacts whole families.
Paul Mickley has cancer. He's been under treatment since March. He's sick and he's hurting. He's 56, with a wife and five kids. The oldest is married. Just made him a grandpa. The youngest is 9 with special needs. He can't work now. Can't support them.
"For him, to not be able to work is the hardest thing," said Stacy, his wife of 22 years.
The family lives in Greencastle in Franklin County. Paul runs his own business, picking up snack foods at a warehouse, trucking them to grocery stores, stocking the shelves. He's had to hire someone to replace him so he doesn't lose the gig. What he would normally earn is going to his replacement.
Stacy said they've never been rich, but they had enough. They even had savings to tide them over for about three months should something happen. But they never expected this. Paul's had nine surgeries, chemo, radiation. He faces more.
Stacy has picked up the slack. Just driving him back and forth to Hershey Medical Center for treatments eats a big bite out of her days. She's his caretaker, his cheerleader. She worries about him. She worries about their kids. She worries about money.
When the savings evaporated, she used credit cards, "which is the stupidest thing to do," she said. But what else can you do when the electric company says it's about to plunge your family into darkness?
She spends every spare minute on the phone looking for help.
"It's become a full-time job," she said.
She's waiting to hear from SSI. Meanwhile, she follows leads to foundations or anyone who might help. The American Cancer Society supplied a list. She's found a few who said yes.
"I'm exhausted," she said. "Some days I go in my bedroom closet and cry."
It's what caretakers do when they want to shield their children.
She has gotten help from Vickie's Angels for a couple of car payments, phone bills and car insurance. She is so very grateful. She and Paul have discussed how they will pay it forward when they've crossed this mountain.
"My reward will be when my husband is cancer free," Stacy said. "I just want him to have his life back."