Steven Gregg Cancer Fund

August 4, 2026

Hello friends and family. It has been a couple weeks since my last update. Thank you all for taking a moment to catch up. And thank you sincerely for your continued prayers, love, and support. They mean so very much to me and Melissa.

I am still fighting the good fight against cancer. My most recent labs were improved and the tumors (my lymph nodes) have shrunk considerably. I continue to take a pill form of chemotherapy medication twice a day as well as about 19 other medications daily. (Sorting my pill sorter weekly looks like a school science project.) The chemo has very unpleasant side effects. Several of my medicines are considered “prophylactic” in that they are protecting my body from various illnesses as I have a weakened immune system.

Excited to announce that I have graduated from using a walker to now using a cane. Two weeks ago I decided to join the gym where I can use the stationary bike and treadmill. Four months ago I could barely walk five steps to the bathroom and now I am walking one mile (it takes me a long time though). Improving my physical health has been beneficial to my mental and emotional wellbeing.

I continue to wrestle with daily pain and I am learning coping strategies that do not include narcotic pain relief. It has been 111 days since using any opiates. I am still participating in an intensive outpatient program, therapy twice a week, daily recovery meetings, and regular contact with my support system. I am still living in a sober living house not far from our family home. I am grateful to God for seeing me and my family through this dark season of life. 

Melissa and I see each other several days a week to car pool and share a meal together weekly. For the last two months we have been doing a nightly devotional and prayer together over the phone. Relationships, particularly after a painful season like we have endured, take considerable time to heal. I am walking in faith believing God will reconcile and reunite us soon. 

In full transparency I want to share with you our current financial challenges. In addition to the medical debt we have been slowly paying off we now have a $2,000 IOP bill, a $700.00 a month sober living expense, and additional costs for medicine and groceries. I covet your prayers and I am grateful for any and all support moving forward. We really could not have survived all of this without you.

As I close here are all our social media support links. Please continue to visit each page often for updates, share the links with others freely, and please leave comments. Your continued support is deeply appreciated and remains desperately needed. Thank you for providing support as you are able. We are very grateful for each of you. 

• Our SpotFund financial donation page: ( http://spot.fund/nz5g2sc ). 

• Melissa’s Facebook page: ( https://www.facebook.com/melissa.gregg.5458/ )

• Venmo account: @Steven-Gregg-1970

• My CaringBridge informational page: ( https://new.caringbridge.org/site/fa83896e-f5d0-11ee-85cf-434146f6fc6a?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web&utm_content=copylink_leftmenu_php )

Eternally Grateful,

Steven (& Melissa)

July 18, 2026

Hello friends and family. It has been a few weeks since my last post. Life has been very full lately and I have much to update you on. Thank you first and foremost for your continued love and support through all we have been through. I am deeply moved by the grace each of you have extended to me and my family and I thank you for your continued financial support. 

For starters I am still fighting cancer. I saw the oncologist last week and my most recent labs show improvement. The cancer is still in my blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes however the size of the tumors has decreased greatly. I will continue my pill form of chemotherapy indefinitely as well as all the many prophylactic medications related to my depleted immune system.

Regarding my recovery efforts: I am participating in an intensive outpatient program Monday-Friday 9-12, two therapy sessions weekly, daily 12 step recovery meetings, contact with my sobriety support network, and immersion in recovery materials. I recently picked up my 90 day red chip. I am blessed that these recovery efforts have empowered me to live successfully, without narcotic pain relief, and use healthy coping skills to address my physical suffering. 

Melissa and I are working together toward healing and reconciliation in our marriage. I am particularly encouraged by our nightly devotional reading and prayer time together. God has enabled us to survive many difficult seasons in life. I am optimistic in the progress already made and believe God will bring healing as long as we continue to draw near to Him. 

The family continues to need your daily prayers. The “kids” are still emotionally impacted by my suicide attempt and relapse in April. They are participating in therapy and we are planning a family session soon. This will be a slow process of rebuilding trust and I covet your prayers.

I am still living in a sober living Oxford House in Phenix City. It isn’t far from our family home. I see Melissa almost daily as we carpool sharing a vehicle. Living here is not a pleasant experience nor is the environment  clean however I am thankful for a bed and a roof. Gratitude has helped me to cope with the present reality. We are hopeful to reunite the family in the coming months. 

Our present situation is not pretty nor is it easily navigated. Some days are very emotional and discouraging. Some days I am optimistic and grateful while others I feel impatient and frustrated. Nevertheless I remain committed to God, to continued recovery, and to love my family no matter what tomorrow brings. I am leaning heavily on faith, strength from God, and your continued love and support.  

As I close here are all our social media support links. Please continue to visit each page often for updates, share the links with others freely, and please leave comments. Your continued support is deeply appreciated and remains desperately needed. Please don’t stop providing help as you are able. Thank you so very much.

• Our SpotFund financial donation page: ( http://spot.fund/nz5g2sc ). 

• Melissa’s Facebook page: ( https://www.facebook.com/melissa.gregg.5458/ )

• Venmo account: @Steven-Gregg-1970

• My CaringBridge informational page: ( https://new.caringbridge.org/site/fa83896e-f5d0-11ee-85cf-434146f6fc6a?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web&utm_content=copylink_leftmenu_php )

Eternally Grateful,

Steven (& Melissa)

Friday June 26, 2026

Hello friends and family. Steven here. It has been over two months since I have been able to personally update you. Much has happened over this time period and this update will be filled with sad and possibly disturbing news. I share it transparently with each of you in the firm belief that you will join me and my family in continued prayer. Your unending support means the world to us.

About a year ago, against my better judgement, I allowed my cancer doctor to put me on pain medicine. Those of you who know my story know that I have wrestled with addiction and recovery for 40 years. In a matter of months those pills grabbed me and pulled me into a deep depression. I spent weeks in bed declining in physical health, isolating from the world, and losing my will to fight. The first week of April, in a moment of despair and lacking all hope, I attempted to take my life. My two youngest children (in their 20’s) were home and were traumatized when they found me bleeding. What followed was nine days in the hospital recovering from a wound to my neck/chest and then a transfer to a long term drug and alcohol treatment center in North Georgia where I have spent the last 70 days.

It is difficult for me to put into words my cathartic experience in treatment coming to grips with how sick I had really become. I have had amazing individual and group therapy as well as expert recovery coaching. My physical health has been for the most part stable. I continue a litany of medications (minus pain meds, of course) and face cancer and chemotherapy as best I can. During this time I have reclaimed my foothold of faith, lost momentarily in the darkness of depression and addiction.

My family is deeply wounded by my actions, both the relapse as well as my suicide attempt. I have broken trust with them in many ways. The ‘kids’ are reluctant to invite me back into their lives. And Melissa, who has stood by my side through many difficult seasons, has asked for me to not return home (at this time). I will be living in a sober living house while participating in an eight week intensive outpatient recovery program, weekly therapy, recovery meetings, as well as marriage and family therapy with Melissa. We are working toward healing and reconciliation however this will take time… and a miracle from God.

Tomorrow I “graduate”. This week’s bright optimism for successfully completing this recovery program has been overshadowed by the death of my mother (who suffered from Alzheimer’s) as well as the death of our family dog (of 12 years). Adding to the stress, one of our vehicles had to be put in the shop. When it rains, it pours. However the rain falls on the just as well as the unjust. (Mt 5:45)

Before I leave you, having poured out much to digest, I want to remind you all how deeply appreciative we are for your support and prayers. Your contacts, notes, emails, and calls speak hope to us. Your prayers are priceless and we need them now more than ever.

Here are all our social media support links. Please continue to visit each page often for updates, share the links with others freely, and please leave comments. Your support is deeply appreciated and remains desperately needed. Please don’t stop. Thank you.

Our SpotFund financial donation page: ( http://spot.fund/nz5g2sc ). 

Melissa’s Facebook page: ( https://www.facebook.com/melissa.gregg.5458/ )

NEW WAY TO GIVE: Venmo account: @Steven-Gregg-1970

My CaringBridge informational page: ( https://new.caringbridge.org/site/fa83896e-f5d0-11ee-85cf-434146f6fc6a?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web&utm_content=copylink_leftmenu_php )

Eternally Grateful,

Steven & Melissa

Monday, June 1,  2026

Hey everyone, Melissa here again. I have been meaning to post an update but life keeps going and I am just trying to keep up. So let me catch you up.

First, Steven is still in a facility about 3 hours away. He is doing better and we are planning the next steps. Please pray for him and for our family as we make decisions and work toward whatever is next.

I may have mentioned the issue I’ve been having with my left eye for several years. I was referred to a Neuro-opthamologist at Emory Hospital in Atlanta, and some sweet friends went with me to the appointment in May (I think because they were afraid to let me drive). After a lot of testing and questions, the doctor concluded that I had a stroke in my eye. Yes. My eye. Not my brain, just my eye. I had an MRI last November that showed there was nothing there (ha ha), just some atrophy in my optic nerve. Unfortunately there is nothing they can do to restore my vision, so the plan is to try to prevent it from happening again. So I will be having a sleep study sometime soon to determine if I have sleep apnea, which apparently increases the risk of this happening. So there’s that.

Also, I did something yesterday that I have never done before. I played the keyboard for a worship set. 4 whole songs. I’m still not sure how I pulled it off. Seven years of piano lessons finally paid off I guess. It wasn’t perfect, mistakes were made, but I kept going. 

I think that’s a great metaphor for life actually. I don’t always get it right. I make mistakes. But I keep going.

When I left work today, it was sunny, with blue skies and puffy white clouds, and I thought “Maybe I’ll actually get in the pool today!” But as I drove, dark clouds appeared, lightning flashed, the wind picked up, and rain started blowing sideways, all within 20 miles. And the only way home was through the storm. If I turned around and went back the way I came, I would never make it home. If I tried to go around the storm, it would take much longer. The storm was between me and the place I wanted to be, so the only way there was through. I had to keep going to get to the safety of shelter.

Life isn’t exactly smooth sailing right now. There’s a lot going on. Family stuff. Medical stuff. Stress. Anxiety. Uncertainty. But the only thing I know to do is keep going. Press on. Push through the storm, hoping there is the safety of shelter waiting on the other side.

Sometimes our vision is cloudy or blocked. Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes a storm comes up suddenly and we have to navigate through it. We have to keep going to get to the other side.

A lot of what I’ve been hearing in songs and on the radio lately seems to speak to this. We did a new song yesterday called “Worthy of my Song”. I’d like to share a few lyrics that hit close to home:

I’m gonna sing til my heart starts changing,

Oh I’m gonna worship til I mean every word,

Cause the way I feel and the fear I’m facing

Doesn’t change who You are or what You deserve.

I give You my worship, You still deserve it,

You’re worthy, You’re worthy, You’re worthy of my song,

I’ll pour out Your praises in blessing and breaking

You’re worthy, You’re worthy, You’re worthy of my song.

In the blessing and the pain,  You are worthy.

Whether You say yes or no or wait, You are worthy,

Through it all I choose to say You are worthy.

I’ll never stop singing Your praise.

I have to say that my faith has carried me farther than I ever thought it would have to. I cling to every promise, every ounce of hope, every good thing I can find. I lean on my friends and family. I keep going, trusting there is safety just around the corner.

I want to share a few specific needs that we have. It’s really hard and humbling to ask for help, but we are so grateful for all the support we have had. It has really made a big difference for us. Right now we have a $900 ambulance bill, a $2500 hospital bill, and possibly about $3000 of deductible or co-pay for where Steven is staying right now. I think we are about $6,000 away from our original goal that we set when Steven was first diagnosed with cancer. I’m asking that you would prayerfully consider a financial donation toward this goal. We absolutely could not get through this without your support.

Here are all our social media support links. Please continue to visit each page often for updates, share the links with others freely, and please leave comments. Your support is deeply appreciated.  God bless you for your love and generosity. 

• Our SpotFund financial donation page: http://spot.fund/nz5g2sc

• Facebook page: ( https://www.facebook.com/melissa.gregg.5458/ )

• My CaringBridge informational page: (https://www.caringbridge.org/site/fa83896e-f5d0-11ee-85cf-434146f6fc6a?utm_source=website_share&utm_medium=share_button&utm_term=&utm_content=link_share_button&utm_campaign=private_home_page )

Never stopping,

Melissa