Danny Millard Cancer Fund

Hi.  My name is Danny Millard and the handsome beagle you see sitting next to me in the photo below is my son, Porthos.  He means everything to me.  Porthos is a Diabetic Alert dog and we go everywhere together.  As you might have guessed, he objects to me drinking frozen lemonade for obvious reasons.

Right now, I am trying to raise money to help cover extensive medical bills related to Colorectal Cancer and recovery, as well as supplemental funding for living expenses.  Any remaining funds will be used to support other cancer patients going forward.   I have a small home in Strongsville, OH that is at risk of being taken away and my wife's wages are about to be garnished by several sources because we cannot keep up with the massing debt.  I was an unemployed, full time student pursuing a degree at Cleveland State University when serious health complications stemming from the cancer forced me to drop my course load.

I first became aware of my condition after enduring several months of painful digestive problems.  I reached a point of crisis in May, 2016 when I couldn't keep food down and began vomiting blood.  Over the course of the next few months, doctors at Southwest General Medical Center  determined that I had a massive 11cm (4 1/4 inch) diameter tumor inside my colon that was completely obstructing my digestive tract.

This lead to a partial colectomy; a process by which the diseased tissue and part of the surrounding tissue is removed, the colon is shortened by roughly one third, and the healthy sections of my colon were joined.

While the operation appeared to be extremely successful, I was also put on chemotherapy as a precaution to hopefully eliminate extant cancer cells and keep new ones from forming.  At this point, I was determined to be at Stage IIA , which is treatable.

Initially, the pill form of chemotherapy, Xeloda , was proscribed for me, as it had relatively few serious side effects and would allow me to self-administer from home.  Unfortunately, I had the worst reaction to this drug that my Oncologist had ever seen.  I developed a condition called Hand-Foot Syndrome almost immediately and after a few cycles of treatment could only maintain mobility with the use of a wheelchair.

My second attempt at chemotherapy was almost fatal.  I was put on an IV form of chemotherapy called 5FU .  The Hand-Foot Syndrome only continued to get worse and within a few days of my fourth infusion, I developed a paralytic Illeus, which cause my digestive tract to stop functioning.  I spent nearly three weeks at the end of December 2016 fighting for my life in the ICU and when I was finally discharged, my muscles had atrophied to the point I could barely walk.  It took great effort to get back the strength that I needed to regain mobility, but I prevailed.

However, as of the beginning of March, 2017, a PET scan has revealed that my cancer appears to have returned.  It is in an inoperable location far from the original site.  There is some possibility that this is just an anomaly and will not lead to the formation of a new tumor, but only intensive and diligent observation will determine for certain whether I am about to make the leap to Stage IV , which would be incurable.  Such observation will certainly be an extremely expensive process, regardless of the outcome.

Although I currently have some insurance, I face high deductibles and pay a tremendous cost for the various medications I require on a monthly basis.  My insurance does not cover everything 100%, which leaves me and my wife to face the balance of what, to us, are staggering bills.

As sick as I have been, and continue to be, I am certain that we will continue to accrue medical bills throughout the course of my illness that will put us into further debt unless we find a way to stem the tide now.

I do not know whether cancer will ultimately defeat me, but I am determined to fight.  I am desperate in my determination not to leave my family behind without a home and crippled with debt.  I thought we had saved enough money to get us through most of the medical emergencies that we might face in life, but I was terribly wrong.  The cost of battling cancer is impossible for most people of average means to meet without the kindness and generosity of others.

Please help us.  I never imagined that I would, at this early age (45 years), find myself pleading for assistance from friends, family and strangers alike, but I will be eternally grateful to any and all who can reach out to help us in our time of need.  If I should somehow survive this ordeal, it is my intent to pay your generosity forward for the rest of my life by donating to others who are faced with similar tragedy.

Thank you.

Danny Millard