A Lawrence man is asking the community for help to raise thousands of dollars that will be spent to save his life.

Arthur Turner, 61, a former Lawrence firefighter and court-appointed special advocate, needs to raise $175,000 for a second stem-cell transplant in his battle against multiple myeloma, a cancer that affects his blood and protein cells.

“I’m not looking for a hand out, I’m looking for a hand up,” he said.

Because of the urgency of the life-saving transplant, Turner said his doctors at Kansas University Hospital will conduct the transplant in March, but he still needs to raise funds.

Dennis McCulloch, spokesman for the hospital, said options are provided for patients with financial struggles, including a charity care program.

“We are always going even beyond some of our own guidelines to help patients when critical care arises,” he said.

The National Transplant Assistance Fund has established a fundraising campaign on Turner’s behalf. The nonprofit organization provides fundraising assistance to families facing financial challenges because of medical expenses.

Turner, originally from Mississippi and the youngest of 14 children, came to Lawrence in 1968. He worked at different jobs including at the Lawrence Fire Department beginning in 1971, before he lost his vision in 1981. He earned a social welfare degree from Kansas University in 1988.

Turner said he was denied coverage through Blue Cross and Blue Shield because Medicare deemed the second transplant was “experimental.” Medicare will cover an initial surgery, but it is a Medicare national coverage determination that declines stem-cell transplants for people with multiple myeloma because “insufficient data exists to establish definite conclusions” regarding its effectiveness, said Julie Brookhart, public affairs specialist for the Kansas City Regional Office for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

To make a donation visit www.transplantfund.org.