In Support of Mark and Tara Bentley

Mark Bentley has spent the past year fighting a rare form of cancer called mucosal melanoma. Despite receiving excellent care, the disease has reached his brain and spinal fluid and is now resistant to treatment. Now, his time left on this earth is short and his wife of almost 38 years, Tara, needs to make difficult decisions about his care and final arrangements.

Mark is an Army veteran who served in the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm, 35 years ago. During that time, he was in charge of the burn pits at his camp. It’s believed that those duties exposed him to toxic substances that lay dormant in his system for decades. Because this is a combat-related illness, he earned a VA pension to assist with financial needs last year. However, the pension doesn’t cover everything, and it will end with his passing.

The time has come to transition Mark to hospice care. He is currently in a hospital in Northern Kentucky, an hour away from home. While the VA does cover hospice care at certain facilities, it does not cover any facilities in southeastern Indiana or nearby. Bringing Mark home unfortunately doesn't feel like a safe option, as 1880s farmhouses were not built with a lack of mobility in mind.

We would like to move him to a facility closer to home; specifically, a skilled nursing facility where Tara's father already resides in assisted living. Having both her father and her husband in the same facility will make caring for them much easier. The facility is not a cheap option, but we feel it is the right decision at this time so that Mark can have safe and adequate care. 

As people who love serving others, it's very hard to accept that it's time to ask for help for ourselves. Many have asked how they can assist or what we need at this time, and sadly it feels like the greatest need is a financial one. We appreciate anything people are willing to give, and prayer counts for a whole lot as well.

Please pray for:

We are all leaning on Christ and trusting that this is all in His hands. Thank you for all of the support you have shown and continue to show us.