Eric was a healthy man, employed for 28 years as a lead machine operator for Kenneth Copeland Ministries. He and his wife Tina met at work and have been married for 25 years, and they take great joy in their 22-year-old daughter whom Tina homeschooled...
Eric was a healthy man, employed for 28 years as a lead machine operator for Kenneth Copeland Ministries. He and his wife Tina met at work and have been married for 25 years, and they take great joy in their 22-year-old daughter whom Tina homeschooled. Eric enjoyed time in the outdoors, hiking, swimming, and visiting the beach and the mountains of Colorado with his wife and daughter. Eric is a man of faith, family, and hard work.
When his stomach pain intensified instead of subsiding in November 2021, his wife took him to the emergency room. They were both shocked when the shaken ER doctor told them that his scans showed a mass indicative of colon cancer. In a whirlwind, life became a series of medical procedures, chemotherapy, surgery to reroute his intestines and bypass his large intestine, kyphoplasty to stabilize his spine when the cancer spread to his bones and fractured his vertebrae, radiation. With these procedures came excruciating pain. Despite this, Tina says that she has been amazed at her husband’s peace and calm, the grace of God on him and in him. She also said that everyone was so helpful and kind; from the oncology doctor to the home health nurse to the hospital staff, everyone has gone out of their way to help them.
At his final chemotherapy appointment, Eric’s doctor sat him down and told him that the treatment was not helping; it was only subjecting him to unpleasant side effects. The doctor asked the hard question: How do you want to spend your last days? Only 55-years-old, Eric began hospice care. His social worker reached out to Project 4031. Eric had to leave his job in January, and Tina is unable to work due to back problems. While Eric is receiving long-term disability benefits, this gives the family only 60% of his income to pay 100% of their bills. Their daughter helps out, and family has blessed them with money, but there were still bills to be paid. Project 4031 assisted the family by paying a month of their rent and sending them a grocery gift card. Tina told us, “We are so appreciative. This help takes a load off of us. God always meets our needs, and He has used Project 4031 as a channel of His will.” Their experience with Project 4031 reinforced their core belief: they trust in God in all things; therefore, everything is going to be alright.
Eric’s favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” At Project 4031, we are very grateful for Eric and Tina’s example of courageous faith and for letting us walk a few steps of their journey with them.