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Please help us give back to a family that has endured but given so much!!!
It was 10 years ago, while on a family vacation to Disneyworld, that John Burke received the news that he had pancreatic cancer. He was given six months to live, which is not surprising since pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of any other type of cancer. In order to try and prolong his life the doctors at the UC Davis Cancer Center were forced to remove his pancreas along with half of his stomach, four feet of intestine, 34 lymph nodes, and his gall bladder. All of this has and will require lifelong monitoring for the multiple medical challenges that result from this incredibly invasive procedure (i.e., diabetes). Thankfully God has prolonged his time here on earth but the list of subsequent complications, scans, blood tests, surgical procedures, medication, and other therapies, is so long it takes quite a while to consume. The impact on him and his family is extensive. Edward Kim (MD, PHD) of the UCD Cancer Center highlighted this in a recent letter where he stated, “Mr. Burke and his family have faced, and will continue to face, extraordinary physical, emotional, and financial costs due to his diagnosis”. This disease has decimated his family’s life savings including his two daughter’s entire college fund and any hope of a retirement reserve for him and his wife; insurance only covers so much.
John is never one to ask for a handout and even with his physical challenges he has even taken on a second job waiting tables to make ends meet; he often works seven days a week. Given all of this, he and his family have never ceased in looking for opportunities to give back and serve others. John is currently a board member and an active supporter of the Me-One Foundation (http://me-onefoundation.org/), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing adult cancer patients and their families a retreat called Camp Challenge. See John at the 1:55 mark within the following Me-One video (video link ). This experience allows them to disconnect from their diagnosis, recharge their relationships, and find support from other people that are living with this disease.
Beyond all of the hours he spends at his two jobs and volunteering at Me-One, John still finds the time to mentor young men, support a men’s ministry at his church, and lead a small group bible study. He and his family give back so much!
Unfortunately, John’s battle against cancer has not ended and recently tumors on his liver were found which the doctors have been fighting with such methods as radiofrequency ablation, basically burning the tumors from the inside out. This procedure has failed to eliminate the disease from this vital organ so John has been relegated to receiving costly monthly injections of a drug which will hopefully control the growth of the tumors. This process includes aggressive monitoring and will deliver even further financial, physical, and emotional burdens on him and his family while they wait for a cure.
John’s wish is that his life will be extended at least to the point to be at his daughter’s weddings and walk them down the aisle.
Another hope that John had was to visit Disneyworld to celebrate 10 years of life since he received his terminal diagnosis while at that amusement park. The most recent round of medical expenses is making that dream challenging at best.
Almost everybody has met or known somebody in their life who has had to battle cancer. They have seen the mental, physical, and financial toll it can take on a family as it devastates so many areas of their lives. Those of us with good health are truly blessed not to be weighted with the burden of trying to fight cancer and support a family on a limited income. Please help us to give to a family who gives so much. Your gifts will be used to offset some of his medical expenses, restore both their daughter’s college fund that has been decimated, send this beautiful family back to Disneyworld this year to celebrate a decade of life beyond a lethal diagnosis, and for continued support of the Me-One Foundation and Camp Challenge.
If you have questions about this campaign or to make gifts by mail, please reach out to us through this Gofundme site.
It was 10 years ago, while on a family vacation to Disneyworld, that John Burke received the news that he had pancreatic cancer. He was given six months to live, which is not surprising since pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of any other type of cancer. In order to try and prolong his life the doctors at the UC Davis Cancer Center were forced to remove his pancreas along with half of his stomach, four feet of intestine, 34 lymph nodes, and his gall bladder. All of this has and will require lifelong monitoring for the multiple medical challenges that result from this incredibly invasive procedure (i.e., diabetes). Thankfully God has prolonged his time here on earth but the list of subsequent complications, scans, blood tests, surgical procedures, medication, and other therapies, is so long it takes quite a while to consume. The impact on him and his family is extensive. Edward Kim (MD, PHD) of the UCD Cancer Center highlighted this in a recent letter where he stated, “Mr. Burke and his family have faced, and will continue to face, extraordinary physical, emotional, and financial costs due to his diagnosis”. This disease has decimated his family’s life savings including his two daughter’s entire college fund and any hope of a retirement reserve for him and his wife; insurance only covers so much.
John is never one to ask for a handout and even with his physical challenges he has even taken on a second job waiting tables to make ends meet; he often works seven days a week. Given all of this, he and his family have never ceased in looking for opportunities to give back and serve others. John is currently a board member and an active supporter of the Me-One Foundation (http://me-onefoundation.org/), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing adult cancer patients and their families a retreat called Camp Challenge. See John at the 1:55 mark within the following Me-One video (video link ). This experience allows them to disconnect from their diagnosis, recharge their relationships, and find support from other people that are living with this disease.
Beyond all of the hours he spends at his two jobs and volunteering at Me-One, John still finds the time to mentor young men, support a men’s ministry at his church, and lead a small group bible study. He and his family give back so much!
Unfortunately, John’s battle against cancer has not ended and recently tumors on his liver were found which the doctors have been fighting with such methods as radiofrequency ablation, basically burning the tumors from the inside out. This procedure has failed to eliminate the disease from this vital organ so John has been relegated to receiving costly monthly injections of a drug which will hopefully control the growth of the tumors. This process includes aggressive monitoring and will deliver even further financial, physical, and emotional burdens on him and his family while they wait for a cure.
John’s wish is that his life will be extended at least to the point to be at his daughter’s weddings and walk them down the aisle.
Another hope that John had was to visit Disneyworld to celebrate 10 years of life since he received his terminal diagnosis while at that amusement park. The most recent round of medical expenses is making that dream challenging at best.
Almost everybody has met or known somebody in their life who has had to battle cancer. They have seen the mental, physical, and financial toll it can take on a family as it devastates so many areas of their lives. Those of us with good health are truly blessed not to be weighted with the burden of trying to fight cancer and support a family on a limited income. Please help us to give to a family who gives so much. Your gifts will be used to offset some of his medical expenses, restore both their daughter’s college fund that has been decimated, send this beautiful family back to Disneyworld this year to celebrate a decade of life beyond a lethal diagnosis, and for continued support of the Me-One Foundation and Camp Challenge.
If you have questions about this campaign or to make gifts by mail, please reach out to us through this Gofundme site.
Organizer and beneficiary
John L. Burke
Beneficiary