Learn more about Nick and his family here: Here is the gofundme site, though now inactive :
When Nick reached out to us to let us know about the cancer and Evelyn's Gofundme account, Nate and I had a real gut-check... Something had to be done to help this family, but WHAT!!!
Sure, we knew that we were part of a terrific community here and we knew that the need was real... but should we ask ya'll to step up? Is that what this bunch of folks comes here for? Will they feel somehow tricked or conned to show up on our site and be asked to share? Finally we decided that none of that stuff mattered. There was a real need in a family that was part of our community. The channel could spread the word far and wide. We had to do it, end of story.
Holy smokes did you all step up to the plate... it was inspiring for us, and I have to say that it demonstrated " keep up the good work" better than almost anything else I have ever seen.
"...and by their works ye shall know them..."
Here is the full text of Nick's letter:
Hello Scott, Nate, and the entire essential craftsman community,
As many of you know, a little over a year ago my daughter Evelyn, at 10 months old, was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer, known as PMMTI. She was 1 in fewer than 35 cases identified in the USA since the cancer was discovered several years ago. This was a reality that most folks only experience on a St. Judes commercial; and it hit my family like a wet bag of hammers. Our daughter went from being an energetic, beautiful 10 month old baby to having to face a seemingly never ending series of horrific treatments that took an incredible toll on her and our family for the better part of 10 months.
Near the beginning of her treatment I reached out to Scott and Nate in order to potentially receive some assistance from the community and raise some funds to help us offset the cost of her treatments, (most of which were experimental due to the nature of her cancer). Immediately we began to receive donations, to the point where I had to shut down the GOfundme page because the tax liabilities were fast approaching! The last thing I wanted was for 1/3 of the money donated to go to the federal government!! That aside: within a month we were presented with a bill for $6,000 for a genetic test that was not covered by insurance, but the results of that test were what ended up guiding her treatment, and saved her life. Your money went the entire distance; providing us with the funds necessary to stay in hotels for treatments, offset her medical bills, and it aided in our transportation costs. Without your help, I would have had to essentially live at work in order to fund everything that she needed during that time. However, thanks to your support, I was able to spend the maximum amount of time with her and my wife through all of it.
My daughter was 10 months old when she was diagnosed with cancer. She learned to walk in the hospital. She learned how to say her first words in the hospital. So many of her milestones were achieved inside of a sterile environment, full of people with more patients than time.
This community is extraordinary. Your generosity absolutely changed my families' life, and there is no way that i can ever thank you folks enough. Evelyn is turning 2 years old on December 14th, and she is doing so with a full head of hair, and a belly full of food because of the treatments that this community helped pay for. If it wasn't for that test, (which was optional, but we chose to get it because we had the money from your donations in case we had to pay for it out of pocket), she would still be going through chemo, and who knows what would have happened in the end.
Our reality now is one of hope and happiness. While the spectre of future cancers are still out there, looming in the potential future, we at least get to have this time to enjoy our lives and have a Christmas together without the possibility of visiting the cancer ward. Just that simple fact is enough to make my family happy beyond compare, and you all were no small part of that. Thank you.
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas.
-Nickolas Pelletier and Family.
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