Cancer treatment & travel costs for Ed

Hi there and thank you for taking the time to read my story and consider helping us financially.

At the beginning of the year, I was diagnosed with a very rare cancer in the form of soft tissue sarcoma called desmoplastic small round cell tumor - otherwise known as DSRCT. Sarcomas are rare, accounting for only 1% of all cancers in a given year. What this means is treatment options are not as robust or well-funded as some of the more common cancers. Further, all indications point toward this cancer resulting from exposure to burn pits on my two deployments to Afghanistan (2008 and 2011) during my Army career.

We've been extremely fortunate to have received care and treatment from MD Anderson since the end of February. Through two rounds of chemotherapy, scans have shown progress in the fight to shrink and eradicate these tumors. However, it has become clear from conversations with the medical team at MD Anderson as well as our own research into the matter that the best treatment options to beat DSRCT require extensive travel out-of-state. The specific type of immunotherapy treatment we are seeking is relatively new, under FDA review and pending approval, and is not covered by insurance.

We are grateful for your consideration and donation to help our family fight and beat this. Your kindness and generosity are greatly appreciated.

Thank you, Go Army Beat Navy, and Go Stars!

-Ed, Rachel, and Merritt