Scott's Cancer Battle :: Round 2

Cancer. It's a word that has become so common in our world today. But when it hits your family, your brother, it becomes so much more than a word. It becomes a battle. 

My brother, Scott, was diagnosed with Stage 1 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2011. In 2012 it had progressed to Stage 2. But, with treatment and a fighting-attitude, he successfully beat that cancer.



But, as many of us have come to know, cancer doesn't like to go down without a fight. Sometimes a long, brutal fight. And sometimes it likes to come back for another round.

Round 2....

This Spring Scott was diagnosed with Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (B-Cell Lymphoma ). 

After consulting with doctors and specialists, the option of surgically removing the tumors was ruled out. The cancer is attacking too many locations (spleen, small intestine, diaphragm). Cancer has taken off the gloves this time and decided to fight dirty. Good thing we know how to fight dirty, too!

The battle...

Beginning in June, Scott will be undergoing three months of an aggressive chemotherapy treatment. After those 3 months they will run tests and then continue the aggressive treatment for another 3 months. The fight will not come without painful side effects but I know my brother and I know he can do this. Cancer will not win this one. 

So, why am I sharing this story with you? Because, like every good fight, the victor needs a cheering section. And while Scott would love nothing more than to quietly hide in the shadows and fight this one on his own, I'm not letting him. Because I know, if the tables were turned, he wouldn't let me hide in the shadows. 

Here's the reality....

After Scott beat his first round of cancer, he suffered an unrelated work-place injury that resulted in several back surgeries, including a spinal fusion. This has left Scott on disability over the past few years and with poor insurance coverage. 

Scott and Janice will be responsible for several thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses to cover his chemo treatments until their deductible and out-of-pocket maximum is met. Not the easiest task when you're a single-income family. 

Time to take down this mountain! 

The bills that will begin to pile up and the amount needed to even start treatment looks like an impassable mountain to Scott and Janice today. But I know that this village of people, Scott's family and friends, can easily chip away at that mountain with them.

I want Scott and Janice to spend their energy over the next 6 months fighting the battle with cancer, not the battle with medical bills. I want Scott to concentrate on keeping his body strong during these aggressive treatments and not on how to pay for those treatments. 

I hope that you will consider helping Scott and Janice and support this GoFundMe effort. I'd love to see the generosity of this community blow our goal completely out of the water and set Scott & Janice up to financially take care of any follow-up medical bills. Mostly, I hope the generosity of this community serves as a big F-U to cancer! 


Tip :: if you want to support Scott here and don’t want to donate extra to GoFundMe, select “other” from the “tip” section and enter $0. Also, if you’d like to support Scott in another way besides here, just contact me.