Volkringer Family’s Colon Cancer Battle

On Friday July 21st 2017, Val and her husband Kurt were on their way to a concert with friends. The parents of three girls, ages 11, 8 and 10 months, they had been looking forward to a fun date night out. On the way to the Concert, Kurt experienced a scary episode where he nearly passed out, began to sweat profusely and turned ghostly white. He then blacked out and was unable to speak. Val immediately turned the car towards the nearest ER, Wake Med. Kurt had been experiencing some recent stomach pain but on this night, the pain suddenly became unbearable. Initially, the ER doctors thought that Kurt may have a blood clot based on blood work. Further testing revealed a devastating truth; Kurt was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer which had spread to his liver. Within days, Kurt underwent surgery to remove the tumor from his colon (this tumor had created an obstruction and a perforation which was the source of his extreme pain) and were able to remove it in its entirety. This alleviated much of the extreme pain he was in, however results of further testing confirmed that the cancer had already spread to Kurt’s liver. There are five tumors on the liver that are too large to make them operable at this time. The next step is chemotherapy to hopefully shrink the tumors on the liver so that the Dr. can operate. If they are able to shrink the tumors and operate, there is a chance that the cancer can be eradicated. At this time, Kurt is home and recovering from the very extensive surgery that removed the original tumor along with a portion of his colon. He will begin chemotherapy treatment by the beginning of September. The Dr. would like to begin aggressive treatment as soon as possible to hopefully shrink the tumors. Kurt is now on short term disability however the Dr. has advised that he will be unable to return to work; he is going to be out of work indefinitely. This diagnosis came completely out of the blue and has been an incredible shock to the Volkringer family. Even with insurance, medical bills and medication costs are astronomical. Valerie is a stay at home mom to her three children, and runs a pet sitting business. She is now also Kurt's primary caretaker and must take Kurt to the many Dr. visits and soon chemotherapy treatments. We are asking for help through this Go Fund Me page to raise $75-$100000 to help this family cope with the crippling medical costs of Kurt’s care in addition to his lost wages. We want to ensure that Kurt’s girls can continue to feel as secure as possible during this time of great need. Any small amount will make a difference. The Volkringers are an extremely giving family who are always there to lend a hand when someone is in need. Now the need is their own and though they would not ask themselves, the need is great. Please join me in praying for, and also contributing any small amount to the Volkringer Family.