Campaign for Steve Poole’s Final Medical and Family Bills

I’m Mike Poole, the twin brother of Steve Poole.

On Christmas Eve, I received a call that Steve, 64, had collapsed at home and was taken by ambulance to the emergency room with his wife and soulmate of 43 years, Julia (Julie), and his adult daughter Stephanie. A CT scan revealed that Steve had a 10 cm liver tumor and a blood clot in his liver of the same size. His liver was bleeding. After 8 hours, Steve was finally stabilized, and the bleeding was stopped. He was admitted to the ICU. One week later, the hospital released Steve to hospice care at home. No formal diagnosis of his tumor was possible until the liver healed sufficiently from the trauma, which would take two to three weeks. Julie converted her dining room (where they entertained many people over the years with fabulous cooking) into a care room for Steve. Their daughter, Stephanie, has been an invaluable helper throughout this ordeal.

Steve passed away on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. The passing was incredibly peaceful, and I was holding his hand. Julie was with him, as well as his beloved three little dogs. In fact, we were alerted by one of the pups to the fact that his breathing had stopped at the very moment that he passed. We truly believe that she saw his spirit pass from his body.

Steve had no life insurance and was unable to afford traditional health insurance. He had a health share plan, but this will not cover the enormous medical expenses incurred by his week-long ICU hospital stay; in fact, there is no guarantee that the plan will cover any of the expenses. We all know a week in ICU will be exorbitantly expensive. Without Steve’s income, Julie has an uphill financial battle simply to afford monthly bills.

Steve worked his entire life and was a loyal and honest employee. When his employer visited Steve in the hospital, Steve, suffering a life-threatening illness, said, “I’ll see you at work on Monday.” Everyone who knew Steve loved him for how generous, funny, smart, kind, and witty he was. A lady he knew years ago stitched a small desk plaque for him that read, “Happiness is Knowing Steve.” Truer words were never stitched!

Steve was a talented rock guitar player. His love for music knew no bounds and he played in bands all his adult life. He and Julie were not just soulmates, but band mates as well; she played bass guitar with him (their daughter Stephanie is a talented drummer – they all three played a show together a few years ago.)

We’ve all been blindsided by this. I am reaching out to family and friends, even empathetic strangers, on their behalf. Many have asked how they can help. Here’s how: Any amount you can give will be deeply appreciated and will help to lessen the stress and burden of living expenses and medical bills during this time. It’s always a little uncomfortable to ask for donations, but in this world of strife and bickering, it’s nice to know that there remains kindness and charity. It restores our faith in coming together for a truly worthy cause – that of honoring a wonderful friend and brother by lessening the burden for those he so suddenly left behind.

If a monetary gift isn’t possible—even if it is—please pray. Steve was a born-again believer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I know he would ask that all his Christian brothers and sisters pray for the family.

Thank you for reading this, and for your prayerful consideration.