Benefit for Jim "Junkyard Dog" Quinn

Just before Easter of 2018, Jim became sick with a cold. Over the next few days it progressed into a heavy cough and he decided to go see the doctor to have it checked. After an x-ray, he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Also in the x-ray, a small spot was found in his right lung. The doctor prescribed antibiotics to treat the pneumonia and after 10 days Jim went back in for a CT to confirm the pneumonia had cleared. During that scan, the spot found in the x-ray was still there, so a biopsy was ordered. When the results came back, it was confirmed that Jim was diagnosed with stage III small cell adenocarcinoma lung cancer. ​

It was decided that the University of Minnesota Medical Center was the best place to treat the diagnosis. On June 14, Bonnie and Jim hit the road to Minnesota. Due to the tumor being located at the entrance of the lung where air comes in, it was decided the best course of action would be to have the lung removed. After surgery and a 20 day stay, he was finally allowed to go home. Back in Rapid City, Jim went through 4 rounds of chemotherapy that was really rough on him. He became severely dehydrated and his magnesium levels dropped significantly, causing him to be hospitalized on multiple occasions. ​

Finally, in November 2018, Jim received the news that he was Cancer Free! ​

At the beginning of April 2019, Jim started to feel sick again. Bonnie took him into the hospital and he was diagnosed as being septic. They feared there was a leak in the fistula, but they couldn’t find one. They inserted a drain and a softball size amount of puss was removed. He was told he needed to go back to the Medical Center in Minnesota to be treated by his surgeon there.  After multiple tests, it was unconfirmed how the infection began, but they started a pic line so Jim could continue to receive IV antibiotics. He was finally able to come home on April 25, 2019, the day his 3rd grandson was born!​

All seemed good until September 2, 2019. That evening, Jim started to feel spasms in his left leg. They started in the leg, moved to his side, then crept all the way up to his forehead. He was rushed to the hospital by Bonnie and taken in for a CT. They discovered swelling of the brain along with 2 possible lesions in his brain. They sedated Jim for the evening and the following day took him in for an MRI. The MRI confirmed 3 tumors were in the brain and the doctor diagnosed metastatic disease. The doctor gave Jim the option of radiation; however, radiation has no guarantee to cure the cancer, and can cause a poor quality of life without extending his life. Due to this, Jim chose to enjoy his life with his family, instead of in the hospital. ​

Jim is an incredible man who is well known within the Rapid City and Aberdeen communities. His artwork with metal and wood, along with his dedication to the automotive industry, will be remembered long after he is no longer with us. Anyone that has met Jim knows he has a good heart and would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need. ​

In order to help take care of Jim, Bonnie was out of work for over 4 months in 2018 and has already been out of work for 2 months in 2019. Jim requires constant supervision so Bonnie is having to take additional time off work. She is working on arrangements so that she can go back to work part time in order to keep their medical coverage. All of her time off work has been unpaid and between day-to-day bills, medical expenses, and having to travel back and forth from Minnesota, their debt is snowballing. All donations will go to help pay for hospice care, medical expenses, and the monthly bills that are piling up while both Bonnie and Jim are out of work. Anything helps and is beyond appreciated! Thank you!​