Dan's fight against Multi Myeloma!
Donation protected
Dan has relocated from home to a housing facility associated with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. He was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in October of 2016. He will a have a stem cell transplant and cannot be more than 30 minutes away from his transplant team.
*This page was created by Dan's Family in hopes to relieve some of the pressure and financial burden of life while fighting cancer.
Last October, after weeks of excruciating pain and many ER visits, Dan was diagnosed with Multiple Myleoma. The following days, weeks and months would never be the same for Dan and his family. He spent 5 days in the hospital trying to get the pain under control and starting the many, many tests. We soon found out that the Myleoma had caused damage throughout his entire body. It damages the cells in the bone marrow which weakens the bones and causes fractures. The doctor explained it like a moth eating away at a cloth. His T5 vertebrae is "near complete height loss" and T5 is 80% collapsed along with damage to others in his back.
He has multiple focal lytic lesions affecting his skull, cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, pelvis, right clavicle, right humerus, right femur and sternum.
Because it is throughout his body, in his bone marrow, they could not do radiation as there was not a single mass to attack. Thankfully they have been able to get most of the pain under control but he still struggles daily.
October 2016, Dan started chemotherapy. He had appointments twice a week
for a year. In September of 2017 he was finally approved as a stem cell candidate. October 12, 2017, Dan, Mary and Chase relocated to Seattle, Washington. Thankfully insurance pays for housing but they still have a mortgage and bills to pay at home plus food, gas and living expenses while in Seattle is making it very hard for them to just focus on Dan's recovery. It's amazing the effort that Dan is putting forth, still trying to make motorhome deals over the phone, sometimes from his hospital bed, anything at all to provide for his family.
It has been a tough year for Dan and his family. His daughter, grandson and son in law passed away in July and shortly after was when he was diagnosed. Regardless of what life throws at this man he never gives up. He never takes even a minute for himself, constantly trying to provide for his family and put out the "fires" that attack them daily. He and Mary raised his 3 beautiful children together, who are now grown and in 2009, they had their first child and Dan's 5th. This family has seen their share of ups and downs but Dan has never stopped providing for his family. He is the first person to jump when someone needs help and he would literally give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it and he thought it would help.
Dan has worked very hard since the young age of just 10 years old.
Now, is his turn to have a break, to focus on fighting one thing, CANCER!
It's important to note that he hasn't asked for help from anyone and if it was up to him he wouldn't be asking now. But as their family, I cannot sit by and watch them struggle anymore.
They have worked very hard to never be late one their mortgage, pay bills on time and not use public assistance even when they qualify.
But now they are desperate. They have filed for help with food through DSHS and hope to cancel it as soon as possible. That should help with food each month. But they need help with monthly bills at home, transportation costs and medication that insurance doesn't cover.
We've had many people ask what they can do to help them but with them being so far away, you can't even just stop by and say hi. So, please if there is anything at all that you can donate to this family, even just a few dollars will make an impact in their lives but more importantly Dan's recovery. Please share and keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you,
HPK and family.
*This page was created by Dan's Family in hopes to relieve some of the pressure and financial burden of life while fighting cancer.
Last October, after weeks of excruciating pain and many ER visits, Dan was diagnosed with Multiple Myleoma. The following days, weeks and months would never be the same for Dan and his family. He spent 5 days in the hospital trying to get the pain under control and starting the many, many tests. We soon found out that the Myleoma had caused damage throughout his entire body. It damages the cells in the bone marrow which weakens the bones and causes fractures. The doctor explained it like a moth eating away at a cloth. His T5 vertebrae is "near complete height loss" and T5 is 80% collapsed along with damage to others in his back.
He has multiple focal lytic lesions affecting his skull, cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, pelvis, right clavicle, right humerus, right femur and sternum.
Because it is throughout his body, in his bone marrow, they could not do radiation as there was not a single mass to attack. Thankfully they have been able to get most of the pain under control but he still struggles daily.
October 2016, Dan started chemotherapy. He had appointments twice a week
for a year. In September of 2017 he was finally approved as a stem cell candidate. October 12, 2017, Dan, Mary and Chase relocated to Seattle, Washington. Thankfully insurance pays for housing but they still have a mortgage and bills to pay at home plus food, gas and living expenses while in Seattle is making it very hard for them to just focus on Dan's recovery. It's amazing the effort that Dan is putting forth, still trying to make motorhome deals over the phone, sometimes from his hospital bed, anything at all to provide for his family.
It has been a tough year for Dan and his family. His daughter, grandson and son in law passed away in July and shortly after was when he was diagnosed. Regardless of what life throws at this man he never gives up. He never takes even a minute for himself, constantly trying to provide for his family and put out the "fires" that attack them daily. He and Mary raised his 3 beautiful children together, who are now grown and in 2009, they had their first child and Dan's 5th. This family has seen their share of ups and downs but Dan has never stopped providing for his family. He is the first person to jump when someone needs help and he would literally give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it and he thought it would help.
Dan has worked very hard since the young age of just 10 years old.
Now, is his turn to have a break, to focus on fighting one thing, CANCER!
It's important to note that he hasn't asked for help from anyone and if it was up to him he wouldn't be asking now. But as their family, I cannot sit by and watch them struggle anymore.
They have worked very hard to never be late one their mortgage, pay bills on time and not use public assistance even when they qualify.
But now they are desperate. They have filed for help with food through DSHS and hope to cancel it as soon as possible. That should help with food each month. But they need help with monthly bills at home, transportation costs and medication that insurance doesn't cover.
We've had many people ask what they can do to help them but with them being so far away, you can't even just stop by and say hi. So, please if there is anything at all that you can donate to this family, even just a few dollars will make an impact in their lives but more importantly Dan's recovery. Please share and keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you,
HPK and family.
Organizer
Mary Peterson
Organizer
Vancouver, WA
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