ELYRIA, Ohio — There's no part of death that's easy. Yet, in your darkest hours, you see the light in others.
That's the reality Lisa Lenox is living right now, as she prepares to lose the love of her life for the second time. Her lifelong friend, Kim Hamilton, sat right beside her when we talked on Tuesday.
"I love you, and if you ever need anything ... call me," Kim told Lisa. "Don't worry about the time ... don't worry about the time. Just call."
A few years ago, Lisa lost her husband to multiple ailments. Her childhood friend, David Leatherwood, reached out. You see, he, too, had just lost his wife.
"He knew what it was like to go through all that," Lisa said.
The two bonded over their experiences. Soon, they fell in love.
"We just started doing things together and spending more time. And we just got attached to each other," Lisa told us.
Then, about a month ago, a devastating blow: David went to the ER for what he thought was was a pulled muscle. It turned out to be advanced cancer in his liver and lungs.
"When the nurse came in, she sat down on the bed with him and he knew it was bad," Lisa told us.
In a heartfelt plea on a GoFundMe page, David has seemingly accepted his fate. He only wants the best for his family before he goes.
"My name is David Leatherwood and if you are reading this then you probably know me. 3 weeks ago I went to the hospital for what I thought was a pulled abdominal muscle. I have been diagnosed with advanced stage cancer in my liver and in my lungs. As most of you know I have an 11 year old son and we lost his mother to colon cancer 2 years ago. The doctors have given me 2 weeks to a couple of months to live and I am hoping that I can get all my ducks in a row before I break on through to the other side. My son Brian, Lisa, my family and myself all agree that Brian should continue to live with Lisa. The plan is to pay for the adoption and funeral/memorial before I climb that stairway to heaven.
"I hope that some of you out there can help me out. I'm not afraid to die and not ashamed of asking for help. I just want to do the very best for my family that I can in the little time I have left.
"Thank you all so very much and I will see all of you again some day."
"He wants to make sure everybody's OK. He wants his ducks in a row," Kim said.
"Everybody," includes David's 11-year-old, Brian, who's struggling with the harsh reality of losing both of his parents.
"Brian doesn't wanna see (his dad die). That's probably my biggest fear. He doesn't want to see it," Lisa said.
In fact, Brian doesn't want to see anyone right now. All he wants is for Lisa to raise him, after he loses his daddy.
"And he told his dad, you know, that that's what he wants. You know, we've talked to him, we've both talked to him about what he wants and he wants to stay here," Lisa said.
Lisa wants to be with Brian, too. She loves Brian as her own.
"We're very close. We spend a lot of time together," she said.
Lisa has a daughter. So, with taking in Brian, she'll need help. David wants to make sure of it.
"The plan is to pay for the adoption and funeral/memorial before I climb that stairway to heaven," he wrote on GoFundMe.
In her darkest hour, Lisa finds comfort in the light her closest friends bring to her.
"Just seeing Lisa suffer and, you know, to go through it again. I know it's hard on her. I know if the shoe was on the other foot, she would help me. So that's what we do. We stick together and try to help," Kim said.
If you'd like to contribute to the GoFundMe, click HERE.
Additionally, a spaghetti dinner is being held at 5 p.m. on July 31 at German's Villa at 3330 Liberty Avenue in Vermilion. All proceeds go toward the family.
For tickets, or to make donations, call Kim Hamilton at (440) 258-0693 or Stephanie Howell at (419) 706-7928. You can also purchase at the door. There will be raffle baskets, 50/50, and a cash bar.
More information, HERE.
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