Help Gene Wooten Fight Cancer!
Donation protected
Many of you know Gene Wooten, whether it is through church, his voice on the radio and tv commercials, or through local theater programs. Gene has recently confronted one of the greatest challenges of his life: Cancer – Cholangiocarcenoma, one of the rarest cancers of the liver with roughly 3,000 cases reported. We appreciate those of you who have journeyed with us in prayer and support for him and his family over the past months.
A little about Gene:
In 2002, Gene exchanged a career with ABC in New York City for self-employment in Knoxville, TN in order to spend more time with his wife Debbie and kids Katie and Matt. In addition to hearing Gene's voice on radio and TV advertisements, you are likely to have encountered Gene's work as the audio technician for many of the local area musicals and events. Often, these serve as an outlet for our talented high-school kids. Through this, Gene has become much more than a contractor for audio reinforcement, but a beloved partner with the schools' theater and music programs, fully invested in every clap of thunder sound effect or the projection of a young person's singing voice onto an orchestral backdrop. A man of faith and an active Christian, Gene has made this an area of ministry and service to the local community just as much as his experiences running the sound at Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York or Knoxville churches of which he has been a part.
Diagnosis:
In the spring of 2016 Gene suddenly became ill. A diagnosis was not immediately obvious. After visits with a number of Knoxville and Vanderbilt doctors, it was determined to be Cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the liver bile ducts that has a high recurrence rate. Because it is less common, only a few centers have considerable experience with it. Johns Hopkins is one of these.
The interrupted liver function eventually led to pain which robbed Gene of sleep and made him unable to digest food properly, making him very weak and extremely jaundiced. At Johns Hopkins, Gene’s bile duct function was then artificially restored through an external drainage system, making Gene's liver more healthy in preparation for the actual surgery on the cancer. On Thursday, September 8th, Gene underwent an 8-hour surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital during which the infected, left side of his liver was completely removed, along with the tumor, the bile duct system, several lymph nodes in the area, and tissue samples. The bile duct system was completely reconstructed as well. Additionally, throughout this process, both before and after his recent surgery, Gene has been particularly prone to infections, which sent him to the ICU at one point and has brought some setbacks to his recovery process.
The most recent diagnosis has shed light to next steps for Gene’s treatments. We praise God that the cancer is contained and did not spread to the surrounding lymph nodes or organs. On the other hand, there was clear evidence that doctors could not remove all of the cancer in and around the bile duct closest to the remaining section of the liver. Once Gene can recover and regain strength, he will begin radiation treatments, likely followed by chemo. Because this cancer has a high recurrence rate, doctors must aggressively attack this cancer in these early stages.
Needs:
Needless to say, this process has meant frequent travel to and from Baltimore for Gene and family members, room and board, food etc. This has also meant that Gene’s business has had to shut down, hopefully only temporarily. This has cut the Wooten’s income in half. His wife Debbie, a professor at UT, has been graciously given an abbreviated schedule so that she can continue to do her research, writing, and publishing remotely. Currently, Gene is out of the hospital but must live within a short drive to the hospital since no doctor is equipped to help him back home in Knoxville. He and Debbie are living in an extended stay facility just outside of Baltimore indefinitely. There is also the reality that medical bills will begin to flow in. Please pray for Gene and consider a contribution to this family to help offset the high cost of this difficult journey.
A little about Gene:
In 2002, Gene exchanged a career with ABC in New York City for self-employment in Knoxville, TN in order to spend more time with his wife Debbie and kids Katie and Matt. In addition to hearing Gene's voice on radio and TV advertisements, you are likely to have encountered Gene's work as the audio technician for many of the local area musicals and events. Often, these serve as an outlet for our talented high-school kids. Through this, Gene has become much more than a contractor for audio reinforcement, but a beloved partner with the schools' theater and music programs, fully invested in every clap of thunder sound effect or the projection of a young person's singing voice onto an orchestral backdrop. A man of faith and an active Christian, Gene has made this an area of ministry and service to the local community just as much as his experiences running the sound at Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York or Knoxville churches of which he has been a part.
Diagnosis:
In the spring of 2016 Gene suddenly became ill. A diagnosis was not immediately obvious. After visits with a number of Knoxville and Vanderbilt doctors, it was determined to be Cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the liver bile ducts that has a high recurrence rate. Because it is less common, only a few centers have considerable experience with it. Johns Hopkins is one of these.
The interrupted liver function eventually led to pain which robbed Gene of sleep and made him unable to digest food properly, making him very weak and extremely jaundiced. At Johns Hopkins, Gene’s bile duct function was then artificially restored through an external drainage system, making Gene's liver more healthy in preparation for the actual surgery on the cancer. On Thursday, September 8th, Gene underwent an 8-hour surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital during which the infected, left side of his liver was completely removed, along with the tumor, the bile duct system, several lymph nodes in the area, and tissue samples. The bile duct system was completely reconstructed as well. Additionally, throughout this process, both before and after his recent surgery, Gene has been particularly prone to infections, which sent him to the ICU at one point and has brought some setbacks to his recovery process.
The most recent diagnosis has shed light to next steps for Gene’s treatments. We praise God that the cancer is contained and did not spread to the surrounding lymph nodes or organs. On the other hand, there was clear evidence that doctors could not remove all of the cancer in and around the bile duct closest to the remaining section of the liver. Once Gene can recover and regain strength, he will begin radiation treatments, likely followed by chemo. Because this cancer has a high recurrence rate, doctors must aggressively attack this cancer in these early stages.
Needs:
Needless to say, this process has meant frequent travel to and from Baltimore for Gene and family members, room and board, food etc. This has also meant that Gene’s business has had to shut down, hopefully only temporarily. This has cut the Wooten’s income in half. His wife Debbie, a professor at UT, has been graciously given an abbreviated schedule so that she can continue to do her research, writing, and publishing remotely. Currently, Gene is out of the hospital but must live within a short drive to the hospital since no doctor is equipped to help him back home in Knoxville. He and Debbie are living in an extended stay facility just outside of Baltimore indefinitely. There is also the reality that medical bills will begin to flow in. Please pray for Gene and consider a contribution to this family to help offset the high cost of this difficult journey.
Organizer and beneficiary
Katie Raby
Organizer
Knoxville, TN
Deborah Wooten
Beneficiary
