Dennis has SO MUCH to live for!
Donation protected
I am sharing our story on behalf of myself and my parents with the hope that at least a few lives are spared the suffering that we have endured for the past several months. If, after reading this, you choose to make a donation, we are extremely grateful. If, after reading of our family’s situation you are unable to help us, that’s okay. I realize this post is long but I urge you to read on. It is my sincere wish to offer some valuable health information that could save your life or the life of someone you love. My gift to you.
On May 21st, 2016, I was receiving my Bachelor of Arts Degree in New York as my parents cheered me on. My dad, who has always been active, fit, and works out, had a hard time walking the 3-mile long campus. When he went up a flight of stairs, he would get winded. Five days later, on May 26th, my father was in the hospital with severe anemia. On May 30th, he was diagnosed with colon cancer and given a grim prognosis. Instantly, the course of all our lives was altered as we were slammed with this devastating news.
To back up, in January of this year, my parents had sold our family home and were in the process of packing so that they could move to where I had received a wonderful career opportunity in my chosen field of game design. I chose to decline the offer so that I could stay home to help my mom care for my dad. In the blink of an eye, all of our dreams were shattered. Within a matter of days, we were thrown into a type of hell that is almost impossible to describe. Surgeries, complications, chemotherapy, more complications; including a pulmonary embolism following his liver biopsy; procedure after procedure, all caused my dad to go from 160 pounds to 109 pounds in 8 weeks. The cancer spread to his kidney which made a nephrostomy tube necessary. After that, he had to have a stent placed in his liver to unblock his bile duct. Then he had a G.I. celiac pain block which failed. His excruciating pain had to be managed with high doses of medications. After losing his appetite to chemo therapy and radiation, it was necessary for him to have a feed-tube placed to help offset malnutrition. It took the doctors weeks to figure out that his type of cancer is non-genetic adenocarcinoma which is aggressive, resistant to chemotherapy, and does not respond to immune-therapies. In the past several months, my mom and I have watched my dad suffer in ways that no human being should have to.
When my dad is in the hospital, which is more often than not, our lives are consumed with driving to and from the hospital, spending every waking moment with him while at the same time, trying our best to keep up with daily tasks. Some days, there is no time for a shower. Or dinner. Nurses, doctors, and friends keep reminding us to take care of ourselves, but without help, this is impossible to do so under such stressful circumstances. When my dad is home, my mom and I take turns getting up every hour to flush his feed tube and tend to his other needs. We have been living most of this year in a state of terror, not knowing what the next day or moment will bring. His need for round-the-clock care has left us traumatized and exhausted as we devote all our energies to helping him recover. As our energies are depleted, so are our finances. My father’s illness has not only slammed us emotionally but has devastated us financially. My father has been a small business owner in our town for 25 years. As a self-employed person in America, there are few safety nets when a tragedy of this magnitude strikes. We have no savings to fall back on. We are in the majority of middle America; 3 paychecks away from poverty. My mom is doing her best to keep my dad’s business running, but right now, we are not even breaking even. My dad has been hospitalized 14 times, to date. We have rushed him to the ER 12 times; twice by ambulance. He has had 5 surgeries and countless procedures. To say we have been living a nightmare for the past 7 months would be an understatement.
My father has been far more than just a great dad to me. He has also been my most influential teacher, my most staunch advocate, and, above all, my very best friend. I consider myself blessed to have such a loving, supportive dad. I could definitely use his guidance for another 20-some years. My dad is, of course, also my hero. The way he has faced his illness, fearlessly and with no thought of losing this battle makes me admire him more than I can say. My parents are average, ordinary people but they are not an average or ordinary couple. It is as if they are one person. When my mom got kidney cancer 7 years ago, my dad was out of his mind with terror; the same kind of terror she and I now live in.
My parents are my only family and their devotion to one another is something I aspire to. They are a team. We are a team. I cannot even imagine one without the other…or myself without one of them. The thought of losing my father this soon in my life is unbearable.
Let me tell you a bit about my dad. He is one of the most truly kind and genuinely good people I have ever known. He is loving, tolerant; always willing to lend a hand, an ear, a shoulder, or give money to anyone in need. He is beloved by his many friends and devoted customers. His riotous sense of humor and keen wit can make pretty much anyone laugh. He is a champion of underdogs and defender of human rights. He is generous. When I was little, I saw my dad give his jacket to a homeless man on the street. I did not understand it at the time because it was snowing outside, but I understand now. His motto has always been “no material possession matters more than the comfort of a fellow human being”. That is who he is. A gentle soul. But he is not weak. He is hard-working, adventurous, optimistic, resilient, and extremely determined. Even after his diagnosis, he forced himself to go for two long hikes in the woods where he tried his best to climb cliffs with my mom and our dog. My dad is also a very talented musician. I have been profoundly deaf since infancy. It is because of my father that I learned how to appreciate music, against all odds. Just prior to his diagnosis, my dad was given the opportunity to work on a film soundtrack. He was so happy. It has long been his dream to cut his work hours by half and devote his time to doing what he loved doing most; making music; and here was his chance! His life-long dream has been brutally interrupted. Anyone who knows my dad would agree with me when I say that he is love personified. He is the essence of all that is good in this world. If I am even half the man he is, it is due to his unconditional love and the example he has provided for me as to how to walk through life.
The progression of my father’s disease has been as fast as it was unexpected. Because his particular cancer does not respond to Folfox or Folfiri, his treatment options in our area are limited. His window of opportunity for more advanced treatment is growing smaller and closing fast. But his will to live and his “warrior spirit” remain as strong as ever. His goal and ours is to raise enough money, as fast as possible, to have him transported to MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. There, he would receive cutting-edge treatment which could save his life. While we are in dire need of money for uncovered medical costs, past-due utilities, food, gasoline, mortgage, and basic living expenses, the bulk of your donation would be used toward getting my dad to Houston. My mom and I feel helpless and desperate much of the time, but never do we succumb to hopelessness. They say money can’t buy happiness. That is mostly true. But sometimes, it can buy health. And without health, there can be no happiness. My father wants very much to live. And he has SO much to live for.
Thank you for your kind attention; for reading our story. Now for my gift to you, as promised: Cancer was predicted to be the “Plague of the 21st Century”. No one can deny that this is the case. They don’t call it “The Emperor of all Diseases” for nothing. Listen up! My parents have both been vegetarian and vegan since they were young adults. I was raised a vegetarian but am now a carnivore. My parents were both active, exercised regularly, walked, hiked, drank purified, ionized, alkalinized water. They ate only organic produce. Neither of them smoked. My mom never drank alcohol or did drugs; my dad had the occasional beer. DON’T THINK FOR ONE MOMENT that living a clean life-style with no family history of colon cancer makes you immune. It only helps reduce the risk of getting cancer. Cancer that manifests in the ascending colon is almost always asymptomatic until it is advanced. If your doctor is lax about recommending a colonoscopy at the age of 50, as ours was, even if you live a healthy life-style and have negative hemoccults, GET YOURSELF A NEW PHYSICIAN! A tragedy like this can happen to ANYONE. In a heartbeat, the world as you know it can be shattered. And quite unnecessarily. Colon cancer, caught early, by a conscientious doctor is 90% curable. And don’t believe the hype about vegetarianism being a cure-all or preventative for any form of cancer. Colon cancer is on the rise for reasons yet unknown. The incidence of colon cancer of all forms in Millennials has increased by 25% in the past five years. BE AWARE. BE PRO-ACTIVE. BE WELL. PASS IT ON!
In deepest gratitude for your kind attention and your generosity.
On May 21st, 2016, I was receiving my Bachelor of Arts Degree in New York as my parents cheered me on. My dad, who has always been active, fit, and works out, had a hard time walking the 3-mile long campus. When he went up a flight of stairs, he would get winded. Five days later, on May 26th, my father was in the hospital with severe anemia. On May 30th, he was diagnosed with colon cancer and given a grim prognosis. Instantly, the course of all our lives was altered as we were slammed with this devastating news.
To back up, in January of this year, my parents had sold our family home and were in the process of packing so that they could move to where I had received a wonderful career opportunity in my chosen field of game design. I chose to decline the offer so that I could stay home to help my mom care for my dad. In the blink of an eye, all of our dreams were shattered. Within a matter of days, we were thrown into a type of hell that is almost impossible to describe. Surgeries, complications, chemotherapy, more complications; including a pulmonary embolism following his liver biopsy; procedure after procedure, all caused my dad to go from 160 pounds to 109 pounds in 8 weeks. The cancer spread to his kidney which made a nephrostomy tube necessary. After that, he had to have a stent placed in his liver to unblock his bile duct. Then he had a G.I. celiac pain block which failed. His excruciating pain had to be managed with high doses of medications. After losing his appetite to chemo therapy and radiation, it was necessary for him to have a feed-tube placed to help offset malnutrition. It took the doctors weeks to figure out that his type of cancer is non-genetic adenocarcinoma which is aggressive, resistant to chemotherapy, and does not respond to immune-therapies. In the past several months, my mom and I have watched my dad suffer in ways that no human being should have to.
When my dad is in the hospital, which is more often than not, our lives are consumed with driving to and from the hospital, spending every waking moment with him while at the same time, trying our best to keep up with daily tasks. Some days, there is no time for a shower. Or dinner. Nurses, doctors, and friends keep reminding us to take care of ourselves, but without help, this is impossible to do so under such stressful circumstances. When my dad is home, my mom and I take turns getting up every hour to flush his feed tube and tend to his other needs. We have been living most of this year in a state of terror, not knowing what the next day or moment will bring. His need for round-the-clock care has left us traumatized and exhausted as we devote all our energies to helping him recover. As our energies are depleted, so are our finances. My father’s illness has not only slammed us emotionally but has devastated us financially. My father has been a small business owner in our town for 25 years. As a self-employed person in America, there are few safety nets when a tragedy of this magnitude strikes. We have no savings to fall back on. We are in the majority of middle America; 3 paychecks away from poverty. My mom is doing her best to keep my dad’s business running, but right now, we are not even breaking even. My dad has been hospitalized 14 times, to date. We have rushed him to the ER 12 times; twice by ambulance. He has had 5 surgeries and countless procedures. To say we have been living a nightmare for the past 7 months would be an understatement.
My father has been far more than just a great dad to me. He has also been my most influential teacher, my most staunch advocate, and, above all, my very best friend. I consider myself blessed to have such a loving, supportive dad. I could definitely use his guidance for another 20-some years. My dad is, of course, also my hero. The way he has faced his illness, fearlessly and with no thought of losing this battle makes me admire him more than I can say. My parents are average, ordinary people but they are not an average or ordinary couple. It is as if they are one person. When my mom got kidney cancer 7 years ago, my dad was out of his mind with terror; the same kind of terror she and I now live in.
My parents are my only family and their devotion to one another is something I aspire to. They are a team. We are a team. I cannot even imagine one without the other…or myself without one of them. The thought of losing my father this soon in my life is unbearable.
Let me tell you a bit about my dad. He is one of the most truly kind and genuinely good people I have ever known. He is loving, tolerant; always willing to lend a hand, an ear, a shoulder, or give money to anyone in need. He is beloved by his many friends and devoted customers. His riotous sense of humor and keen wit can make pretty much anyone laugh. He is a champion of underdogs and defender of human rights. He is generous. When I was little, I saw my dad give his jacket to a homeless man on the street. I did not understand it at the time because it was snowing outside, but I understand now. His motto has always been “no material possession matters more than the comfort of a fellow human being”. That is who he is. A gentle soul. But he is not weak. He is hard-working, adventurous, optimistic, resilient, and extremely determined. Even after his diagnosis, he forced himself to go for two long hikes in the woods where he tried his best to climb cliffs with my mom and our dog. My dad is also a very talented musician. I have been profoundly deaf since infancy. It is because of my father that I learned how to appreciate music, against all odds. Just prior to his diagnosis, my dad was given the opportunity to work on a film soundtrack. He was so happy. It has long been his dream to cut his work hours by half and devote his time to doing what he loved doing most; making music; and here was his chance! His life-long dream has been brutally interrupted. Anyone who knows my dad would agree with me when I say that he is love personified. He is the essence of all that is good in this world. If I am even half the man he is, it is due to his unconditional love and the example he has provided for me as to how to walk through life.
The progression of my father’s disease has been as fast as it was unexpected. Because his particular cancer does not respond to Folfox or Folfiri, his treatment options in our area are limited. His window of opportunity for more advanced treatment is growing smaller and closing fast. But his will to live and his “warrior spirit” remain as strong as ever. His goal and ours is to raise enough money, as fast as possible, to have him transported to MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. There, he would receive cutting-edge treatment which could save his life. While we are in dire need of money for uncovered medical costs, past-due utilities, food, gasoline, mortgage, and basic living expenses, the bulk of your donation would be used toward getting my dad to Houston. My mom and I feel helpless and desperate much of the time, but never do we succumb to hopelessness. They say money can’t buy happiness. That is mostly true. But sometimes, it can buy health. And without health, there can be no happiness. My father wants very much to live. And he has SO much to live for.
Thank you for your kind attention; for reading our story. Now for my gift to you, as promised: Cancer was predicted to be the “Plague of the 21st Century”. No one can deny that this is the case. They don’t call it “The Emperor of all Diseases” for nothing. Listen up! My parents have both been vegetarian and vegan since they were young adults. I was raised a vegetarian but am now a carnivore. My parents were both active, exercised regularly, walked, hiked, drank purified, ionized, alkalinized water. They ate only organic produce. Neither of them smoked. My mom never drank alcohol or did drugs; my dad had the occasional beer. DON’T THINK FOR ONE MOMENT that living a clean life-style with no family history of colon cancer makes you immune. It only helps reduce the risk of getting cancer. Cancer that manifests in the ascending colon is almost always asymptomatic until it is advanced. If your doctor is lax about recommending a colonoscopy at the age of 50, as ours was, even if you live a healthy life-style and have negative hemoccults, GET YOURSELF A NEW PHYSICIAN! A tragedy like this can happen to ANYONE. In a heartbeat, the world as you know it can be shattered. And quite unnecessarily. Colon cancer, caught early, by a conscientious doctor is 90% curable. And don’t believe the hype about vegetarianism being a cure-all or preventative for any form of cancer. Colon cancer is on the rise for reasons yet unknown. The incidence of colon cancer of all forms in Millennials has increased by 25% in the past five years. BE AWARE. BE PRO-ACTIVE. BE WELL. PASS IT ON!
In deepest gratitude for your kind attention and your generosity.
Organizer and beneficiary
Olliver Petkac
Organizer
Lakewood, OH
Dennis Petkac
Beneficiary
