Help Ben to Fight Colorectal Cancer

Ben Ramaeker, our loving family member, is currently facing some serious health challenges following his diagnosis of Stage IV Colorectal Cancer in December 2021.

Ben is many things; an incredibly loving husband, son, brother, brother-in-law, nephew, cousin, and friend. Those who know Ben will tell you he is the most caring, thoughtful, selfless individual who puts everyone’s needs before his own. He has not only touched the lives of those close to him, but he has also inspired and touched the lives of those that have had the chance to work with him or learn from him. Ben is a true advocate of the outdoors and creating opportunities for all to experience nature. He has spent his life sharing his knowledge as an outdoor recreation university adjunct professor and program coordinator teaching wilderness preparedness, recreation leadership, recreation therapy and other outdoor skills. Before his diagnosis, Ben volunteered with youth, helping to provide fun experiences outside riding bikes, surfing, kayaking, hiking and more. At his most recent job working as a lead at REI he enjoyed the camaraderie of working with the team and meeting new people and helping them plan for their adventures. Ben and Margaret have been married for nine years and live with their pug Stitch.

The first step to Ben’s recovery included aggressive chemotherapy treatment to fight cancer that had metastasized from his colorectal area to his lymph nodes and liver. Reluctantly, he was unable to continue working at REI and SDSU as he needed to focus on attending appointments and giving his body the time it needs to heal after each treatment. Ben went through 8 months of intense 54-hour-long chemotherapy treatments from January - August 2022 bi-weekly comprised of intense Folfoxfiri with Avastin therapy at UC San Diego's Moores Cancer Center.

In September 2022 Ben then underwent a 6.5-hour liver resection surgery to help remove some of the metastasis. While the surgery took longer than expected, it went smoothly overall but was followed by a difficult recovery in the weeks to follow. Ben spent multiple days in the ICU, a week in the UC San Diego Jacobs Medical Center with a month of recovery. Following his 1st surgery, Ben underwent radiation treatments with an oral cancer pill Monday-Friday every day for 5 weeks during November - December 2022. Although the 2022 year was difficult, Ben is a fighter and persevered knowing the community of support was behind him.

At the start of 2023, Ben was placed back on the intense chemotherapy treatments bi-weekly January-March. He had a short rest period in April before undergoing a 2nd liver hepatectomy surgery in April 2023. Fortunately, his recovery this second time around while still a challenge, was less taxing compared to his previous surgery recovery. Ben completed imaging scans in early July and learned that while the livery surgery was successful at the time with some inoperable potential disease left behind, new lesions had metastasized during his recovery. Therefore Ben was immediately placed back onto chemotherapy treatments (50 hours in-clinic & at-home) in an effort to stabilize and hopefully reduce the cancer spread. The next steps are still to be determined as Ben's treatment plan is variable but could include multiple colorectal surgeries, additional chemotherapy and potentially a liver transplant.

Though his journey has had many ups and downs, Ben & Margaret have found strength in the fact of knowing he/they are not alone in this fight. As they have learned this process is a marathon, not a sprint, and it is important to stay positive and take in the experience along the way. We all believe that he will get through this chapter in life thanks to the support of his family, friends and everyone who believes in him, along with the dedication of his amazing medical team at UC San Diego.

 

We are humbly asking for your financial support to help Ben continue his fight to remission. Although Ben is fortunate to have medical insurance, there are limitations to what insurance covers and there are still out-of-pocket costs. Since Ben is not healthy enough to work given his immunocompromised with his condition he qualifies for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), however, it is a small fraction of his former income. Therefore all donations received will be used in the days, weeks, and months ahead to cover medical expenses such as copays, prescriptions, over-the-counter meds, transportation to appointments, therapy appointments, fertility preservation, genetic testing, nutritious groceries & meals, and other costs associated with Ben's care & well-being. As many of you may understand, facing or previously experiencing unexpected medical conditions, the unforeseen out-of-pocket expenses combined with a significant family income reduction can be a financial and emotional burden to even the most prepared families. The donations have & will help immensely in supporting Ben to continue this fight!

 

Thank you so much to all for your support and love for Ben during this challenging time. We know it is a lot to ask and want you all to know that we are so very grateful for everything! Ben & Margaret couldn't have made it to this point in his treatments without your support! As Ben continues his fight with some difficult challenges ahead, if you can please donate or share Ben's page with everyone you know Ben will know he is not in this fight alone!

 

As well as your financial support, we are asking you to please SHARE Ben's page with everyone. We could use your help sharing with your communities and those in Ben’s life we have missed and would greatly appreciate your help. YOUR SHARING already has & will continue to make a huge impact in reaching this goal. THANK YOU!