And now, a brief pause from our regularly scheduled programming…

Kelvin and Phyllis Nichols

You know how it is when a friend is in trouble and you would move mountains if you could, but you feel helpless because there’s not really that much you can do? That’s how I feel right now.

All I can do is tell you my friend’s story

I first met Phyllis Nichols several years ago during the Customer Love challenges (remember those?), but I didn’t get to know her until we worked together on a fundraiser to help survivors of the 2011 Japan tsunami and nuclear disaster.

Phyllis, an expert sales consultant, was a constant source of brilliant ideas to get the word out. We were able to raise over $5,000 for Direct Relief International and in the process, found a core group of people who loved working with each other. When it was over, we didn’t want to stop so Phyllis and I and several others started a mastermind group to help each other grow our businesses. It was the start of something good, very good, for all of us.

Then, Phyllis and her husband had their own personal disaster: Kelvin was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. Between his chemotherapy and a botched surgery, their lives were turned upside down for many months.

• The good news is that the chemo is over and Kelvin is doing much better — no sign of cancer, yay!
• The bad news is that he needs more surgery to correct the complications from the first, botched operation.
• And as you can imagine, their earning power has taken a serious hit while they have dealt with this. (You can read the full story here.)

That’s why they have launched a fundraiser to help pay for this final procedure. While insurance covers most of the medical costs, it doesn’t cover living expenses during the prep and recovery time, which may take months. They need to move temporarily from their home in Nashville to Columbus, Ohio, where the surgeon is located.

All they need is a few thousand dollars to cover these expenses and get Kelvin back on the road to a normal life.

Please pitch in, a little or a lot

Anything you can give will make a difference. It all counts.

Learn more about Kelvin’s cancer journey and donate here.

And thanks for helping my friend. 🙂