Help Keith Fight Colon Cancer

Early in September Keith was not feeling well. His stomach was bloated, he was in pain, and he was experiencing severe constipation. After trying home remedies for a few days without any relief Keith's condition was deteriorating and at the urging of his wife Falan, they tried to get help. They called a few places to no avail, they got in the car to drive to the closest hospital only to find people waiting in the parking lot because the hospital was full. Finally, after calling around they found an Urgent Care center with an opening.

 

Upon arriving Keith was ushered back to see the doctor. His stomach was so distended and he was in so much pain that they immediately sent him to Northside Hospital for a CT scan. The scan showed an intestinal blockage and Keith was admitted so they could do more imaging and scheduled him for a colonoscopy for the following day. The following morning the doctor decided that it was too risky to do any further testing due to how distended his abdomen was. The fear was that his intestines may rupture since the blockage was not allowing even gas to pass. Instead, she opted for exploratory surgery.

 

 

 

 

Keith underwent a laparotomy, a diagnostic abdominal surgery. During this time a 4 cm tumor was found in his colon. The surgeon removed the tumor, some surrounding lymph nodes and about 12" of his colon to send off to the lab. After a couple of days of waiting we got the news that the tumor and surrounding lymph nodes were malignant, Keith has Colon Cancer.

 

 

 

 

Keith has a long road of recovery ahead of him. Not only will he need to recover from major surgery but he will also need Chemotherapy. As a father to three amazing children, Savy, Ansel and Revel, Keith has a lot to fight for.

 

If you know Keith then you know what a lively spirit he has. If you follow him on Instagram you know he is always up to something like doing fancy tricks on his BMX bike, working on his old cars, capturing his wife or kids doing something mundane and making it fun, or having a cup of coffee with a homeless guy learning his story. Keith loves stories, he listens to others' stories generously.

 

 

 

 

I was married to him for 16 years and I got to experience his big heart regularly, and I also got to be a humble recipient of his generosity over the years. Some of my favorite memories of Keith are with our children, Savy and Ansel. He would be that guy at the family gathering who was on the floor playing with the kids. Keith is the guy that his friends reach out to when they need sage advice. He can talk equally about roofing a house and Ram Dass, that is the kind of guy he is. And while Keith runs his own construction business to financially care for his family, his passion is in film. He uses his talent with a camera to help others. Through his lens he helps all of us see all the beauty of the human spirit that he sees. His images often bring a visceral response to those who watch. You can view some of his passion projects on Vimeo here .

 

 

 

 

We are fundraising for the long road to recovery that lies ahead for Keith. Keith is the primary financial supporter of his family and as a small business owner, he doesn't get the luxury of paid leave from an employer. In addition to the surgery itself and almost 2 weeks in the hospital, Keith will need chemotherapy and ongoing treatment to restore his wellbeing enough to get back to work. And if the medical bills and cancer diagnosis were not enough, Falan's transmission left her stranded on the interstate on her way home from visiting Keith in the hospital. Times are tough.

Your generous donation will serve to support Keith and his family during a very difficult time so that they can focus on healing and not on the stress of everyday life. No amount is too small. Keith really needs us to show him the beauty of the human spirit, and I have faith we can do it.