In early June, Cole went to the doctor for a stubborn pinched nerve in his shoulder. While it felt like a standard injury, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. While investigating the nerve pain, doctors uncovered something completely unexpected, and Cole has been diagnosed with both Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma and papillary thyroid cancer.
As you can imagine, receiving two different cancer diagnoses at once has been a whirlwind for Cole, Sami, and their families. However, Cole is staying incredibly strong, hopeful, and optimistic. Because he is young and otherwise healthy, his medical team is highly confident that both of these cancers are entirely treatable and curable.
The Road Ahead: 16 Weeks of Chemo & Surgery
Cole has a rigorous medical journey ahead of him over the next several months:
- The Immediate Plan: Starting Friday, July 17th, Cole will begin 16 weeks of chemotherapy (8 treatments total, every other week) to target Hodgkin's lymphoma.
- The Next Step: Once chemotherapy is complete and the lymphoma is defeated, Cole will undergo surgery to remove the thyroid cancer.
How You Can Help
While Cole's prognosis is excellent, the financial burden of fighting two cancers simultaneously is staggering. Between endless specialist visits, a battery of scans (MRIs, CTs, and PET scans), heart and lung testing, chemotherapy treatments, and future surgery, the medical bills are already mounting.
An added burden is that with both Cole and Sami being early in their careers, PTO and sick time is limited. While we are blessed that the new Minnesota Paid Leave will help cover some of their missed pay and protect their jobs, it won’t come close to meeting their expenses. We want Cole’s single focus to be on healing, resting, and beating this, not the stress of medical debt or time away from work.
If you are able to donate, any amount is appreciated and will go directly toward Cole’s medical expenses and bills during this fight. If you cannot donate financially, we completely understand and simply ask that you keep Cole in your thoughts and prayers and send all the positive energy you can. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your overwhelming love, prayers, and support.