Bob's Terminal Cancer Support Fund

Jamie Hohnadel Trosen is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Michelle Rustad.

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UPDATE JULY 31, 2018

Late Wednesday night, Bob had a seizure. He was hospitalized, the doctors ran the necessary tests, and we were given news that is incredibly difficult to process. While during his chemo treatment we were seeing good results and the tumors in his brain had receded a bit, they returned over the past few months at a rate we were not anticipating.

Bob now has 15 tumors in his brain, and he has been given only a max of 2-3 months to live. He is currently on Hospice and needs 24/7 supervision, although he is for the time being able to stay home. While he is on anti-seizure medication, there is still a chance it could occur again. In addition, there are a number of conditions that could be triggered by the growth of brain tumors at any time- such as a stroke, sudden blindness, etc.

Thanks to generous friends and family as well as Hospice of the Red River Valley, we have a schedule of people who are able to keep an eye on him and get help if necessary. And so many people have given so much to support us, which we cannot be thankful enough for. But with additional lost income and upcoming end-of-life costs approaching quickly, we are still very concerned about finances. I don't want my family to spend our final moments together with Bob worrying about money, so I humbly ask you to consider donating. Every dollar is a bit of piece of mind for us during this difficult time.

Thank you,
Jamie Trosen, Bob's daughter

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JANUARY 28, 2018

Bob was diagnosed with stage 4 small cell lung cancer just before Christmas—a fast moving cancer that spreads quickly, but is also highly responsive to chemo. It was soon discovered that the cancer had already spread to his brain, so he was placed on an aggressive chemotherapy regimen. He was given 3 months to live without treatment, but with chemo he has 1-2 years. This is the harsh reality my family is living with right now, and all we can do is make the best of a bad situation.

We’re so glad that the treatment will give us more time, but we need your help in order to have that small amount of time be spent making the most of life and not worrying about how to stay afloat.

The cancer created so much pressure on Bob's lungs that one partially collapsed, so he is constantly struggling with shortness of breath, chest pains from coughing, and exhaustion. Unfortunately this is now a permanent condition, as the chemo needed to stop the fast spreading also prevents the ability to perform surgery on the lung. Combine that with the effects of chemo in and of itself, and you can see how he is in no shape to be working. Unfortunately with the nature of paperwork and processing, it may take months before he starts receiving disability checks. Additionally, there are certain days when Michelle needs to take off work to meet with doctors, and those days are not covered by PTO or family medical leave.

The good news is because Bob is a veteran, most medical costs are covered by the VA. The bad news is that the combined loss of income means we need help covering the cost of bills, groceries, prescriptions, and more. We have so little time together and the last thing we want to be worrying about is wether we can afford daily necessities, or even stay in our home.

We have already received support in so many ways from friends and family, which makes it even more painful and humbling to ask for financial help, but unfortunately we don’t have a choice. Any and all donations will make a huge difference in our quality of life, and we would be incredibly grateful for your help.

For those who prefer to make cash or check donations, they can be mailed to the address below:

Bob & Michelle Rustad
319 7th Ave. E
West Fargo, ND 58078

If you would prefer to make other arrangements or have questions about donating, please contact their daughter, Jamie Trosen, at [email redacted].

Thank you so much for your kindness and support!