Brian Bishop’s Battle

In April our dear friend Brian Bishop was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Brian’s long-term treatment plan began months ago and included several cycles of chemotherapy. During these recent treatments, Brian has seen a number of specialists for both out-patient and in-patient treatments. All of these treatments were extensive and have been followed by months of recovery.

The next step is an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant (ASCT) (stem cell retrieval, high dose chemotherapy, and stem cell transplant). On October 18th, Brian and Brandi will travel to Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC to begin the ASCT treatment. They will live in a hotel and go to Duke daily to receive treatment for several weeks. Due to the nature of Brian’s treatment they must remain in North Carolina on their own in order to eliminate the risk of exposure to any illness during this time.

To say Brian and Brandi will have their hands full in the coming months is an understatement. As many of you know, Brian has a beautiful young family. He and his wife Brandi are loving parents to their three children, Bridges (6) and twin girls Lucie Fayette and Margaret Ann (3). Caring for the children while Brian recovers from his treatments and works when he is able is extremely challenging, as are the medical expenses. The cost of the lodging alone during Brian’s treatment at Duke will be thousands of dollars, and this is minor compared to the direct medical costs. This is why many of you have reached out to them as well as family asking how you can help. Brian and Brandi would not ask for help, but for those compelled to do so, we have set up this page to support Brian’s recovery by helping with the financial burden of this battle. We know people will be comforted by the fact that supporting Brian and his family in this way can lessen the feeling of helplessness that accompanies this horrible news.

Brian has an unparalleled faith in God that carried him through his diagnosis and will carry him through his treatment, with confidence and grace. A passage that resonates with Brian is found in Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”.

We appreciate you all and remain grateful for what we know to be true: our faith in God, in Brian and each other. Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts, prayers, and encouragement. It helps more than words can describe. We will continue to update you all through this page.