Army Vet battles cancer

Derek is a retired military veteran who has served 3 tours of duty in the middle east. He and his family made many sacrifices for our freedoms. After all of that, he was medically retired due to a rare brain cancer. Derek is an amazing person and  a talented builder. He spends much of his free time building an addition to his family's home, on top of raising 4 kids. After initial chemo, surgery and radiation, his cancer has come back and spread to his spine.  Due to his condition, he may be unable to complete the addition on his own and we would like to offer him help to hire contractors, etc. 

Derek Orr was born and raised in Rexburg Idaho, and graduated high school in 1999. In August of 2001 he joined the army with a report date of September 18, 2001. Little did he know that the events of 9/11 would shape his entire career. Derek went to basic training as planned, and graduated top of his class in 2002. He then went on to serve in Fort Hood Texas in the 82nd field artillery, 1st Calvary division. From this point on Derek served in five different duty stations including Schofield Barracks Hawaii, Fort Sill Oklahoma, Fort Rucker Alabama, and Fort Wainwright Alaska.

While at Fort Hood, he married his wife Sarah Van Dinter, and welcomed their first son Ethan Orr. Not long after the birth of their son, Derek received order to deploy in Operation Iraqi Freedom 2. He left in March 2004 and served overseas in Baghdad for a 12-month tour. Derek served two more tours overseas serving in Taji, Iraq in December 2007 for 18 months and Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2014 for 6 months.

 During this time Derek and Sarah welcomed three more children: Landon, Aleah, and Brayden. Derek also finished his dream of becoming a pilot when he applied, and was accepted into flight school in 2010. Derek spent a year and a half in Fort Rucker, Alabama going through W.O.C.C., S.E.R.E, and rotary wing training graduating in 2012. He again was at the top of his class.

 Derek has dedicated his life to his country, and his family earning many awards including: Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with four Campaign Stars, Air Medal, four Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, N.A.T.O Medal, and the Combat Action Badge

 In December of 2015 while stationed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Derek was diagnosed with esthesioneuroblastoma. This is a rare, aggressive cancer that attacks the nasal cavity, and can progress into the brain. Derek went through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation in Seattle, Washington. While battling cancer, Derek and his family were separated; his kids were taken to Spokane, Washington to live with his sister and brother–in-law so Sarah could stay with Derek. After a year of treatment, Derek was medically retired from the U.S Army in

November 2016. Derek and his family then moved back to his hometown of Rexburg, Idaho to settle down into civilian life.

 Life had other plans for this family; unfortunately in August 2019 at a routine M.R.I, doctors found that his cancer had come back, and has metastasized into his brain. They are currently seeking treatment through the Veteran Affairs Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, the University of Utah, and Huntsman Cancer Institute.

Derek is an amazing, hard working man.  Thank you for taking the time to read this and any thoughts, prayers, donations are greatly appreciated.