Andrew And His Dad

Hi. My name is Marcia Piazza, and I'm doing a fundraiser to help my son and grandson. My grandson, Andrew, is 25 years old. He has cerebral palsy, is autistic, and has end-stage lung cancer. Andrew was diagnosed with skin cancer five years ago. He had surgery to remove a tumor from his scalp and the lymph nodes in his neck. Unfortunately, cancer had already spread. Andrew had a partial lung removal and started two years of immunotherapy treatments. Last year, during one of his PET scans, it was discovered Andrew had an inoperable tumor on the back side of his lung. It is too close to his heart and involves too many blood vessels to be removed. The next step was SBRT radiation. We were hopeful that this would stop the growth, and it did for a short time, but the tumor returned with a vengeance. Subsequent treatment was a highly toxic chemotherapy. Andrew would endure 5 hours every three weeks for three months. On Tuesday there was a meeting with my son, Andrew, and the oncologists. Unfortunately, the 12 weeks of chemo did nothing. There was a second tumor and enlarged lymph nodes. It was decided to stop all treatments and let Andrew enjoy what time he has left; playing video games and visiting the beach, Hobby Lobby, and Walmart. My son wants to spend Andrew's last few months with him. Unfortunately, mortgage payments, car payments, food, utilities, and everyday living expenses don't stop. And then there are final expenses. My son has been approved for FMLA, but that doesn't provide a monthly income. Short-term and long-term disability doesn't cover a terminally ill son. We're asking you to look inside your heart and help my son be able to spend the last few months with Andrew without having to worry about paying bills. All monies donated will go directly to my son to be used when that time comes. Hold your kids and grandkids tight. Tell them you love them to the moon and back. Andrew's favorite song is from Toy Story. The last couple of lines go "you've got a friend in me. When the road gets rough ahead and you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed, just remember what your old pal said, you've got a friend in me. God Bless.