Together for Andrew: Help Ease His Medical Expenses

My name is Mary Mancillas, I’ve put this Go Fund Me together on behalf of my Aunt, Kathi Dyal, and her husband, Andrew Dyal.

When Kathi and Andrew met, they were facing a dim time. Both had suffered loss and felt alone, but they found a guiding light in each other—bringing hope, strength, and love back into their lives. That light now faces a difficult challenge. Andrew is battling terminal health issues, and the financial strain of medical treatment threatens to dim what they’ve worked so hard to build together. We’re asking for your help to keep that light burning—by contributing to Andrew’s medical fund and offering support when it’s needed most.

This may come as a shock to many, Andrew has been battling for his life for over three years.

He was diagnosed with Stage IV Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer) in 2022, which by 2023 spread to his lungs/spine/abdomen/lymph nodes/liver/and he was completely blind in his right eye. He did NOT receive chemotherapy nor immunotherapy. He received two Y90 targeted treatments and one round of targeted radiation. Somehow, his body metabolically cured the cancer. The tumors have ‘spontaneously regressed’ & his vision is back to 20/20. He is the only known recorded case of this happening!

That is the upside and miracle of his story.

Andrew is currently under the care of multiple hospitals in NC and MD Anderson in Houston, TX. Andrew and Kathi have been traveling to MD Anderson every 2-4 months for tests and scans etc. since 2023.

Andrew also has end stage liver disease and a huge hernia, larger than a fist – outside his body, requiring him to wear a hernia binder to keep it stable. This stemmed from when he had his gall bladder removed in 2021. Due to the deteriorating health of his liver, the high risk of hemorrhaging during surgery (fear of bleeding out), no surgeon will repair his hernia.

He has only one, miniscule, possible option left – a deceased donor liver transplant. A living donor is not an option. Herein lies the challenge: hospitals won’t transplant a patient who had metastatic cancer. The fact that he is the only recorded case of” spontaneous regression,” a God given miracle – he remains in the ‘mets’ column and no hospital thus far willing to touch him. There are two spots still lighting up, unchanged for almost 2 years, and MD Anderson is not convinced they’re live – however, with the inability for Andrew to undergo a biopsy, we can’t know if they are or they aren’t.

The cancer and liver failure have left him disabled and unable to work. He sleeps much of the day, and even the smallest of tasks, like showering, leave him completely exhausted.

Worse, are the cognitive issues; some days he’s great, and some he is unable identify even simple things like a blanket, a fork, or cell phone. There are days he can’t remember their (combined) children’s names or dogs’ names. They never know what the day will bring, and it can change at any point in the day as well.

Kathi now manages all the things: Andrew’s daily care needs, grocery shopping, meals, laundry, cleaning, home & yard maintenance, caring for their animals, scheduling and keeping track of Andrew’s medical appointments for multiple doctors and hospitals in multiple states at the same time, travel arrangements (cars/hotels/flights), keeping up with and staying on top of prescriptions, scans, his labs, doctor communication, etc. Andrew has limited capabilities, very limited energy and no longer can handle tasks like this.

Kathi continues to work full time for the same company she has been with for 20 years. She is blessed by their grace.

Andrew and Kathi both understand deep loss. For Andrew, it was the loss of his wife of 21 years, Missy, who succumbed to an illness after battling for months. Kathi’s was the loss of her husband Brian in a car accident, in which she was the passenger, leaving her with sometimes debilitating PTSD.

Andrew and Missy had three children - Patton, Knox, and Andi.

They’ve already lost their Mom and are now facing losing their Dad. They’ve been through so much and are praying for a miracle.

A mutual friend from high school, Kevin Carroll, re-connected them as he thought they we might bring support and comfort to each other. They were married in September 2022.

As Andrew’s health is declining, he relies on Kathi more and more for things that require no thought for most of us. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Andrew *and* Kathi. She also drives 100% of the time now – which itself is a trigger for her, especially when driving in bigger cities, such as Houston.

Until now, they have viewed this as a private matter, managing it together. So why share his story now?

They need help, financially.

Each trip to Houston, depending on the length of stay, can be $6,000-$10,000 per visit, potentially more when the medical teams extend their stay for additional tests. Although Kathi and Andrew are fortunate enough to have excellent medical coverage through Kathi’s employer, it does not cover any of the out-of-pocket expenses for airfare, lodging, food, or car rental. They have graciously received some financial support from Andrew’s Mom, but unfortunately, the financial burden continues to grow.

The hardest part of their journey is now – applying to approximately 100 medical centers. Kathi is in process now of reaching out and pleading for them to review Andrew’s case. Some of this is done through letters, some email, some she is calling live to approach the transplant teams. It is a daunting task, no doubt.

As hospitals view Andrew as a metastatic patient, he is being declined by hospitals in the US. They are now considering approaching transplant centers in other countries (India & Turkey), as they have world-renowned surgeons. In the meantime, they are still traveling to medical appointments locally weekly, within NC – plus every 2-4 months – back to Houston.

Asking for financial help has been the most uncomfortable decision they have had to make.

Time is running out.

If you’re in a position and would like to contribute, we have put this Go Fund Me together.

They’re stretching beyond their means now and we are hoping to lessen the financial burden to focus more on Andrew’s care. They’re also, and foremost, asking for prayers… lots of prayers.

Kathi leans into her strong Christian faith to help her walk this path with Andrew – to give her strength to care for Andrew in the way he needs – and deserves.

Your gift of prayer, positive thoughts or financial – will help.

Every minute counts. Please fee free to share their story and keep them in your own prayers as they fight for Andrew’s future.

Thank you for your time and consideration.