A Better Way

Due to a change in how this fundraising effort is operating, please give directly to Will by using the info below for a PayPal donation.

wlsteele (at) gmail.com



Will will be making any payments to go for the creation of photo books. Please use the info above for donations.

A Precious Memories Book - Donations

Note: You can piece together Will's story by visiting here and going through "the used to be cancer guy" and "cancer guy" posts. 

You can also become a member of this page at Lotsahelpinghands to view photos and understand in more detail. 

Though we are not accepting defeat in the case of Will's "terminal" cancer prognosis, we are nonetheless preparing to care for his precious family in the unfortunate event that the doctors are correct and that he only has a very short time to live. We are therefore endeavoring to create a professionally printed, hard-bound photo book for each of his children, wife, parents and siblings that will comfort and keep him close for the rest of their lives.

Will used to be an icon of health and fitness. After years of running, taking a break to become a faithful husband and father, and then getting back into running once his life settled down, his life was shockingly and ironically turned completely upside-down! He was diagnosed with cancer.

But being a dedicated runner is about pushing and fighting. Runners are so often injured that it's unusual to find one who isn't nursing some self-inflicted trauma. The most successful runners are those who manage the carnage the best. So, Will fought his cancer like any other runner would fight their normal wounds: He listened to the doctors . . . and just kept on running. And when he peered over his shoulder to see if anyone was behind him, there was no one. Nothing. He beat cancer!

But cancer didn't take its defeat well. It wanted a rematch. And the doctors are now predicting that cancer will even the series.

Will is still a fighter, to be sure, but he's always been more than that. He's been a faithful husband, father, friend, son . . . and he's kept a positive, care-for-others attitude throughout his ordeal. He has been an inspiration to others (I know he has been to me) in the time when he was the one most in need of inspiration.

Presently Will is facing extreme chemotherapy treatments as a last resort. Honestly, it is hard to know whether it's even a good idea to go through with the treatments they will take so much out of him. The medicine in this case could possibly do what the cancer had set out to do.

Before this can happen, however, at least some runners and others are going to do what runners do — fight! We are raising money to send a professional portrait photographer to capture Will in his natural settings in order to create photo books for his family members that can be cherished for the rest of their lives. As Will has been faithful in his duties, it appears that, for the most part, his family will have financial stability. The only thing they might not have will be their husband, father, son, brother, and friend. That is the hole we are aiming to fill as best we can.

Being a photographer myself, I came up with this idea because I know how important photos can be. After natural disasters we often see the TV newscasts of people sifting through the rubble that used to be their homes if only to find pictures, portraits of loved ones — not even necessarily deceased, but just of precious memories. Also, being a photographer, I know how much the photographer makes the difference. I have therefore contacted my friend who is a phenomenal photographer suited specifically for this task. He specializes in capturing people in their natural surroundings.

To have such a photographer do this work is not so inexpensive, and therefore donations are being requested to help cover the cost. I believe with all of my heart, however, that what the family will receive will be priceless!

I ask each and every one of you to thoughtfully consider donating to the cause of comforting the family of a very special person, Will Steele.

For more info on how this donation drive is working, please see the Fine Print.

I think what is written above makes it clear, but to put the explicit fine point on it, in this case, time is not on our side. Please, let's pull together now and begin the process of comfort.

Love and Thanks! Let's fight like runners!