The Salomon’s are in need of your generosity and prayers during their battle with cancer

Welcome to the Salomon Family “Go Fund Me Site”. I never thought in a million years that I would be needing a little hand-up, but here I am asking for your kindness, generosity and prayers to help us through the worst of times. In June of this year, I had a routine CT study of the abdomen done and it revealed a growth on my stomach. An MRI confirmed that I had a GIST or Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor on my stomach. A week later, during a endoscopic EUS study a Adenocarcinoma aka Esophageal Cancer was discovered. It has been graded at stage 2

The Following is a brief history of myself, my career, and my beautiful family. Please take some time and join our family as we move through this unplanned journey. We will continue to provide updates on my health, our family and the help you all have provided. The Copay's, medical bills, and the expense of battling cancer are upon us already. It will only be through your generosity, provided by each of you, that my family will be able to focus on getting me through this. Please check back often for updates and feel free to reach out to me or my family, We would love to hear from you.

God Bless each of you, you are appreciated more than you could ever imagine.

William, Bill, Billy’s story:

My name is William Charles Salomon; some will know me as Bill or Billy and yes even William. I was born October 2, 1960, in Wharton, Texas. Moments after birth I was whisked away from my birth mother and taken to the nursery to wait to join a family. It was there in the nursery that I would meet my adopted family the Salomon’s. With no paperwork or courts my uncle (then doctor) literally called up his sister and asked if she still wanted a little baby boy. Of course, she said yes so mom and her husband got in the car and drove from Grants NM to Galveston Texas to get me. It was a few days later I was handed to the woman I would call mom by the doctor I would call uncle. It would be many years later, at age 58 to be exact, I would find my birth mother and put all the pieces together. In a nutshell it seems the Doctor caring for my birth mother during her pregnancy and who delivered me was in fact also the brother to that woman I called mom. I have since found both sides of my family in Texas and I have 2 big brothers and 3 little sisters. My birth mom is 89 and we talk often, however, my birth father passed away in 2020.

I was an only child for 5 years when my parents decided to grow their family and adopted my brother in 1965. Then came their little miracle, my baby sister. Mom had been told that she could never have children so when she became pregnant everyone was in shock. In 1970 my baby sister arrived just in time for us to relocate to Walnut Creek California.

I had a good life growing up with plenty of fun and adventure. I have lived in Pittsburg CA, Concord CA and then Walnut Creek where I attended Tice Valley Elementary, Park Mead Intermediate and Las Lomas High School. I have been a Cub Scout, a Webelo Scout, and a Boy scout growing up. I really didn’t have much of a father figure in my life most of the time. In 1980 I joined the US Navy where I was stationed aboard a brand-new destroyer tender the USS Acadia. I was assigned to her while she was still in dry dock and was a member of the commissioning crew aka “A Plank Owner”. The Acadia was home based out of the 32nd street naval yard in San Diego. I was a member of 41 alpha aka the Boiler Repair shop. I was appointed the team leader of the refractory team performing repairs to the firebrick and coping inside of the boiler’s fireboxes. I bring this up as I believe this is where my cancer stems from. During repairs down in the fireroom of a war ship, you sleep, eat, and submerged yourself in Asbestos. You see, back in the early 80’s Asbestos was not being treated as a hazardous material and PPE (protective personal Equipment) was not even a thing. This is more than likely where I contracted the Esophageal cancer I am now battling.

My Career:

In 1986 after being honorably discharged from the US Navy, I found myself doing odd jobs for and really was without a plan for the future. The one thing I did know was that I did not want to work on Boilers any longer. Then 1989 I decided to go back to school and get a college degree in computer science and Electronics. I enjoyed college and learning all about computers and networking, and programing. I even graduated with a 3.8 grade point average. Upon graduating from school, I went to work for Fresenius USA out of Concord California repairing and installing dialysis machines, apheresis machines, and CATS (continuous auto transfusion systems) machines all over the US. It was here that my love of the medical equipment industry started. I have spent over 35 years working from the bottom up to my last place of employment. I do pray that once I beat this awful disease, I can return to the HTM field and get back to the work I love. But for now, I need to call on that industry that I have supported to help me beat this cancer so I may return to it one day.

To streamline my career a little I will list the companies and places I

have worked:

• Fresenius USA (assistant manager) – Concord, CA transferred to Boston MA

• Massachusetts General Hospital / Partners Health – Boston, MA

• University of New Mexico Hospital (lead tech)– Albuquerque NM

• Olympus medical/surgical (Field Tech)– Boston, New York, Connecticut

• HSS (manager) – Colorado, New Mexico

• UC Health (Manager) – Loveland Colorado

• HSS Regional Manager) – Colorado, California, Oregon

• Philips Healthcare (Area Service Manager) – New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Utah

• Renovo Solutions (Area Manager) / Loveless Hospitals – Albuquerque NM

• The InterMed Group (Regional General Manager) Presbyterian Healthcare Services

• Now in retirement as I battle Esophageal Cancer

The Salomon Family:

In 1999 I accepted a position as lead technician at the University of New Mexico Hospital leaving Boston behind and moving on to a new beginning. It was while working here that I met my Wife and Go figure wouldn’t she be from Boston. To make a very long story short I had taken a fall of a ladder shortly after taking the job and had hurt my back. My dear wife cared for me and helped me recover from the 4 back surgeries I would be in need of. In the end they added two Rods 9 screws and 2 cages to my lumbar area. Just before my final surgery my wife gave birth to a Baby girl, our daughter. Our daughter was born at UNMH where I had returned to work and was back in the Biomed Shop. Probably the most amazing and wonderful time in my life. My daughter gave me something that no one on this earth could besides her. The ability to bond to another human being on a spiritual level. When you are adopted, you never get to bond with anyone. So, I had never experienced unconditional love before. It is a very strong and powerful emotion, and my wife by having our daughter gave me the chance to know what that was. I have and would, to this day, run in front of a car for her. My wife and I have dedicated our lives to raising her. We were working on completing that when my illness was brought to the forefront. We were helping her get through nursing school and helping her out into the world. For once she was stable it was going to be our time. But now Esophageal Cancer has shown its ugly head, and we all must look to getting me through it.

For the past 8 years I have been the sole provider for our family. Which consists of the 3 of us and plus or minus 30 animals, most of which are rescues. My wife in 2020 was t-boned in her truck and suffered a TBI (traumatic Brain Injury). She has not really been able to work outside of the home since the accident. My daughter, as I mentioned, and who I adore more than anything in this world, is now 21 and in nursing school. She is setting herself up for success in this world. That leaves me supporting our family ranch, the animals, and the 3 of us. I can no longer work during my treatments and surgeries, and we need to get us through the next 6 to 10 months. We have Copay's, medical and hospital bills, a mortgage, car payments, bills, utilities and of course food. We have already started re-homing our animals and it is taking a toll on my wife and daughter as they love and adore each one of them. But we now need to do things we never imagined we would be doing. This journey is going to be painful in more ways than one and I want to lessen the burden to my family as much as I can. With your help we can work our way through my treatment and nurse me back to health without worry or financial burden.

Diagnosis and Treatment:

Yes, I have been diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma, Cancer of the Esophagus stage 2 and a GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumor) of the stomach. This may be upgraded after my upcoming PET CT scan. I am having a “Portacath” placed as an access for the FLOT (Fluorouracil (5-FU), Leucovorin, Oxaliplatin, and Tdocetaxel) aka (Chemo and immuno therapy) to be administered. My FLOT Infusions will be every 2 weeks for a course of 4 treatments followed by radical surgery called an Esophagectomy. If the cancer has shrunk enough in mass I will receive this Esophagectomy which will consist of the removal of part of my esophagus and part of my stomach and then put back together up in my chest. I will come out with a feeding tube while my new stomach settles int and heals. Then when I gain enough strength back and hopefully eat again someday, I will do another bought of FLOT for 4 cycles every 2 weeks. We wait and see if we removed all of the cancer or not. That is how it is supposed to work in a nutshell. I am sure something will change or alter this plan of action. If all goes well, I may be able to return to the industry in 6 to 10 months. I will keep this section updated as changes occur so please check back.

The Bottom Line:

With my daughter in school and my wife caring for me our income has been reduced to a trickle, and our saving will soon be used up on copay's and cancer bills. I am asking those who can, to please donate to my family and help us through this trying time. Knowing that my family has your support means everything in the world to us. Your help will ease our burden and allow us to just concentrate on beating this terrible disease. Your contributions will go to help pay for my cancer treatment, medical bills, co-pays, and surgeries. 

Thank you and may God bless each of you.

Sincerely and with love

The Salomon Family