On March 9, my friend Mike Escutia, who’s 43 and lives in Elroy, Wisconsin, was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, an aggressive and fast-growing type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Mike began treatment on March 17 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He will have two rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. Right now chemotherapy is the most effective way to shrink the tumors he has in his lower back and the lymph nodes in the groin area. Mike will be receiving chemotherapy every three weeks for six rounds of treatment, after which he will begin radiation. When radiation is completed, he will begin chemotherapy again. In addition to this treatment, Mike is also enrolled in three clinical trials. Mike’s treatment is expected to last 18 months.

When he got his diagnosis, Mike said, “With the grace of God and a bit of luck, I’ll beat this.” If you’ve met Mike, you know he’s a fighter, but has a smile for everyone and always looks like he’s just won the lottery. He’s definitely one of the good guys.

In addition to Mike’s time off of work for treatment and recovery, there is the expense of the many trips to Rochester. The only thing Mike won’t have to worry about is losing his hair, as he’s been follicly challenged for quite some time.

Mike is a wonderful husband and father, a supportive colleague, and a friend to all who know him. This will be a long, difficult, expensive journey, but with the support of his wife Renee, daughter Savannah, his two furry buddies, Roscoe and Otis, his family, friends, and community, Mike will survive and thrive.

Anything you can donate to help defray the travel costs and lost wages will be much appreciated.