Our names are Phillip and Anita Harper. In February 2011 Phillip was not feeling well. On his was to  get checked out he had a seizure. With no time to spare we got him to Fox Hospital. Once there they ordered a slew of tests, one being a colonoscopy. The results would change our lives. He was diagnosed with rectal cancer. He underwent 6 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. After that on June 29, 2011 he went to Albany medical Center to have the tumor removed and in order for the healing to occur he had  to have a temporary ostomy put in. During the first week of recovery Phillip got septisis and had to be hospitalized an additional three weeks. It was not until December 23, 2011 that he was well enough to undergo the ostomy reversal surgery to put everything back to proper working order. However that was not to be. In January 2012 he was rushed back to Albany Med center with a high fever and it was found he had an abscess. He was given another temporary ostomy in order to give the abscess time to heal. The abscess continued to be a huge problem with Phillip's healing and after numerous CT scans and drainage tubes issues it as determined the Phillip would have to have a permanent ostomy. He returned to Albany Med center in August of 2013 to have that done. He had numerous complications as a result of this surgery and had to be hospitalized for an additional four weeks after this surgery. After four weeks hey allowed him to come home...with a tracheotomy and in a wheelchair. It was a slow road healing for him and in February of 2013 Phillip had a stroke leaving him blind. That spring I found out I was being let go from my job after the school year ended and as a result would be losing my health coverage. This added financial stress to our situation. Phillip continued to struggle with abscesses and drainage tubes.. Finally in August of 2014 they operated and cleaned out scar tissue and the rest of an abscess. We pray every day that all will go well and we will get good news when we see his oncologist and radiation doctor next time.