William Thomas Sweet is a character. Friends and family know him as the hilariously lovable grump, who passionately gives all of himself to the things he believes in. This is reflected in his music, his love of fishing (even in winter), and his absolutely fierce dedication and devotion to his wife and children.

As most of you know, three years ago Tom was suffering symptoms that his doctors dismissed due to his young age and excellent health. Ultimately when testing was done (almost a full year later and only after Tom’s adamant insistence), it was discovered he had a highly aggressive form of bladder cancer. This was absolutely shocking news. Who suspects that a healthy young dad could have cancer? Tom underwent three operations in an attempt to remove lesions and cure him. Those operations did not work.

Tom eventually went through the drastic option of having his entire bladder removed, something that hugely affected his way of life and sense of self. He chose that option because it had the highest cure rate and chance of eliminating the cancer entirely from his body. However, when they were on the operating table, they discovered that the cancer had spread beyond his bladder and into his lymph nodes. He was officially diagnosed as a Stage 4 cancer patient, and, as soon as his incisions healed, he started chemotherapy.
Tom is the primary provider for his family of six. His wife Sasha stays home to care for their four children, and take care of the new home they had purchased prior to his diagnosis.

Obviously, Tom had to go on short term disability and his huge medical costs understandably devastated their finances. They reluctantly cashed in his retirement to pay down bills, and Tom took a new job with a better income and the flexibility to work from home. They started to recover very slowly, but the future was optimistic.

Four months ago they discovered a large tumor on Tom’s spine. After biopsy, it was determined that it was the same aggressive cancer, and it had metastasized into the bone. The rest of his body was clear, so the doctors had high hopes for his eventual outcome.
Tom had surgery to remove the tumor, and they rebuilt and fused that portion of his spine. It was brutal, and involved another hit to his quality of life, but he soldiered through and then started radiation treatments.

Unfortunately, they have just discovered multiple new lesions in his bones, and the doctors are no longer hopeful that they can cure him of this aggressive cancer.
This means Tom will be fighting an increasingly difficult battle for the rest of his life.

So the family is dealing with that horrific news in addition to facing insurmountable medical bills (past, present, and future) and even the loss of their home.
They are scrambling, trying to cram a lifetime’s worth of memories in a short span of time. They are trying to desperately stay strong for each other and put on a brave face to the world, but this is absolutely devastating them.

Tom lives for his family.  Any little thing you can give would be nothing short of a miracle for them.