Granting Wishes for Rohde
Donation protected
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
My father, George W. Rohde III, is one of the strongest men I know. Through the years he has overcome many obstacles. However, this year he has a new obstacle and it is life threatening.
On September 22, 2014, he had emergency surgery to remove a golf ball-sized tumor from his brain. Unfortunately, he now has a type of brain cancer called gliosarcoma. It is grade 4 and terminal. Radiation and chemotherapy will not cure him but only slow down the cancer, so my family and I have been researching natural ways to save him. It's been three months since his surgery and he already has another tumor and it's growing fast. My Dad is starting radiation and chemotherapy and we are going to continue to research and provide natural remedies to keep him alive. Everyone in the family is helping to take care of him but it's becoming more complicated. My Dad will need to change his entire lifestyle and diet. Dad is a wonderful man. He has always been there to guide us and inspire us through our lives. My family and I are asking for your help not only through prayers and positive thoughts but also through your financial support. My father has a tough road ahead of him and expenses are already mounting. Please help us save our dad. Any size donation will help.
ABOUT DAD
My father he was once a strong and athletic man, He played softball, volleyball and started a golf league at his work. He was my coach for softball and my brother’s coach for T-Ball and he taught us how to play basketball in the yard. He was a picture of good health. And then everything changed.
On April 6, 1992, he kissed my Mom and went to work and never came home. That day drastically altered our lives forever. What we didn’t know was that dad was born with an AVM: a malformed vein. While he was at the health club, the vein collapsed and blood seeped into his brain. They rushed him to the hospital. He had no IDs and was admitted as John Doe. When he didn’t come home, my mom was frantic. She called everyone. By 9:30 pm, she called the health club again. They said no one identified a man they had taken to the hospital.
My dad was in a coma and needed surgery. In the meantime, they inserted a shunt to absorb and divert blood from his brain. After three weeks, he was transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The AVM was tangled deep into his optical nerves. To take out the cluster of veins, the doctor would have to cut one of the nerves that gave Dad his sight. If he did not have the surgery, the cluster could break apart and travel, potentially causing a stroke.
Our family decided to go ahead with the surgery. After the 17 hour surgery, dad was left more than half blind, with short-term memory loss and grand maul seizures. He had a very long road to recovery. Post-surgery, his IQ was that of two-year-old. After three months in the hospital he began rehab, but then, unfortunately his job of 15 years closed down. After that, we had no insurance and no money coming in. At the time, I was 11, my brothers were 7 and 4, and my sister was 2. No agencies helped my Mom, and she had to continue giving my Dad rehab at home, alone.
After surgery, dad didn't know anything; not colors, a fork from a spoon, or a fridge from a stove. He didn't know he was married or that he had four kids. My youngest brother and my sister lived with my Auntie Debbie for about three months on and off. My brother and I had to go to school so we still lived at home. It was a very difficult time for the whole family; we still had no money coming in.
Family and friends helped a lot. Aside from everything else, our family also helped with clothes and presents around the holidays. We did get some of our clothes from thrift stores or hand-me-downs and had breakfast for dinner because we didn't have money for meat. Mom made us pancakes with apples and green eggs and ham like Dr. Seuss to make it fun. Churches and our local community Justice helped with food around the holidays. It was hard, but we made it work, and eventually after 23 different jobs mom was able to find a job with insurance, as a school bus driver.
It took my Dad more than five years of recovery to be the man he is today. Even though he is a different man than he was in my childhood, he is still the best Dad ever. He enjoys spending time with his grandchildren and being their "Boompa." We all love him so much.
Dad has now had his third brain surgery and is fighting another battle -- this time it's for his life. Your love, support, and generosity would mean more than the world to my whole family: it would mean our dad to us.
Thank you,
The Rohde Family
My father, George W. Rohde III, is one of the strongest men I know. Through the years he has overcome many obstacles. However, this year he has a new obstacle and it is life threatening.
On September 22, 2014, he had emergency surgery to remove a golf ball-sized tumor from his brain. Unfortunately, he now has a type of brain cancer called gliosarcoma. It is grade 4 and terminal. Radiation and chemotherapy will not cure him but only slow down the cancer, so my family and I have been researching natural ways to save him. It's been three months since his surgery and he already has another tumor and it's growing fast. My Dad is starting radiation and chemotherapy and we are going to continue to research and provide natural remedies to keep him alive. Everyone in the family is helping to take care of him but it's becoming more complicated. My Dad will need to change his entire lifestyle and diet. Dad is a wonderful man. He has always been there to guide us and inspire us through our lives. My family and I are asking for your help not only through prayers and positive thoughts but also through your financial support. My father has a tough road ahead of him and expenses are already mounting. Please help us save our dad. Any size donation will help.
ABOUT DAD
My father he was once a strong and athletic man, He played softball, volleyball and started a golf league at his work. He was my coach for softball and my brother’s coach for T-Ball and he taught us how to play basketball in the yard. He was a picture of good health. And then everything changed.
On April 6, 1992, he kissed my Mom and went to work and never came home. That day drastically altered our lives forever. What we didn’t know was that dad was born with an AVM: a malformed vein. While he was at the health club, the vein collapsed and blood seeped into his brain. They rushed him to the hospital. He had no IDs and was admitted as John Doe. When he didn’t come home, my mom was frantic. She called everyone. By 9:30 pm, she called the health club again. They said no one identified a man they had taken to the hospital.
My dad was in a coma and needed surgery. In the meantime, they inserted a shunt to absorb and divert blood from his brain. After three weeks, he was transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The AVM was tangled deep into his optical nerves. To take out the cluster of veins, the doctor would have to cut one of the nerves that gave Dad his sight. If he did not have the surgery, the cluster could break apart and travel, potentially causing a stroke.
Our family decided to go ahead with the surgery. After the 17 hour surgery, dad was left more than half blind, with short-term memory loss and grand maul seizures. He had a very long road to recovery. Post-surgery, his IQ was that of two-year-old. After three months in the hospital he began rehab, but then, unfortunately his job of 15 years closed down. After that, we had no insurance and no money coming in. At the time, I was 11, my brothers were 7 and 4, and my sister was 2. No agencies helped my Mom, and she had to continue giving my Dad rehab at home, alone.
After surgery, dad didn't know anything; not colors, a fork from a spoon, or a fridge from a stove. He didn't know he was married or that he had four kids. My youngest brother and my sister lived with my Auntie Debbie for about three months on and off. My brother and I had to go to school so we still lived at home. It was a very difficult time for the whole family; we still had no money coming in.
Family and friends helped a lot. Aside from everything else, our family also helped with clothes and presents around the holidays. We did get some of our clothes from thrift stores or hand-me-downs and had breakfast for dinner because we didn't have money for meat. Mom made us pancakes with apples and green eggs and ham like Dr. Seuss to make it fun. Churches and our local community Justice helped with food around the holidays. It was hard, but we made it work, and eventually after 23 different jobs mom was able to find a job with insurance, as a school bus driver.
It took my Dad more than five years of recovery to be the man he is today. Even though he is a different man than he was in my childhood, he is still the best Dad ever. He enjoys spending time with his grandchildren and being their "Boompa." We all love him so much.
Dad has now had his third brain surgery and is fighting another battle -- this time it's for his life. Your love, support, and generosity would mean more than the world to my whole family: it would mean our dad to us.
Thank you,
The Rohde Family
Organizer
Erica Rohde
Organizer
Lemont, IL