How YOU Can Help

In addition to the burden of Joe's health problems, his desire to remain gainfully employed full-time to support his family and continue to serve his present and future students usually requires maxxing out his deductible for health insurance nearly every year. However, there are sometimes even greater challenges with paying for certain medical expenses out of pocket that do not apply toward the deductible!

To stay functional and gainfully employed, Joe must spend $625/month for medication. Thankfully, Joe has successfully discovered a pain management doctor who is not only familiar with the treatments Joe has had in the past, but is willing to maintain his current treatment regimen. However, this doctor operates in the suburban area of Houston, Texas, and the law regarding treatment for those in chronic pain mandates a return trip to Houston from St. Louis once every three months along with virtual visits for each month in between those flights.

The cost of the flight, the hotel stay, and car rental are all additional, uncovered expenses. Joe's current employer has been generous with some assistance, but it is not nearly enough to cover the trip nor the monthly expense for medication.

Donations are always appreciated so very much, and that money is always put toward the expenses directly related to treatment. If you are so inclined, please consider contributing and helping to keep Joe in a position to serve his students and their families as he does.

  • PayPal: send money directly to Joe using donate@relentlessagony.com for the email address. The money is easy to track and 100% of your donation will go directly and exclusively towards his medical expenses. Receipts can be downloaded from PayPal for tax purposes, but Joe can also issue an official "thank you" letter upon request.

  • Venmo: If it is preferable to you, you can send donations to me here instead.

  • GoFundMe: send your money using one of the most popular crowdfunding resources. Nearly 8% and a small flat fee are taken from your donation for the benefit of the use of the service, but this may be preferable for those that do not have a PayPal account or would like greater confidence when facing a tax audit than what a personal thank-you letter can provide. Use of GoFundMe is temporarily unavailable. Please contact Joe directly if you are interested in using this service for your contribution.

  • Use the USPS to mail a check or money order to Joe. Email Joe for his address (or contact him another way if you know how). Again, Joe can issue an official and detailed "thank you" letter upon request if it would be beneficial for tax purposes.

No matter the actual value of your donation, neither Joe nor those of us who care about him can articulate how much we appreciate your help with this. It is a difficult thing to admit that you need help from others and no one wishes more than Joe that he had the means of better providing for his family alongside his medical expenses. Please know that your donation will never be used inappropriately and that if you wish to make your donation in confidence, without public acknowledgement, you need only say so.

If you prefer, you can make a donation that more explicitly supports the research into and treatment of Joe's condition. Financial support of this organization would also benefit Joe, though indirectly. It would, of course, also benefit many, many others who are chronic pain survivors.

In truth, while Joe would never turn down anyone's generosity, Joe and his family would be equally appreciative for any and all prayers, well-wishes, and general good thoughts that can be offered on his behalf. Although Joe is loathe to accept pity from anyone, expressions of love and friendship and care in whatever form they come are very much appreciated.