Today, May 25th, is my little brother Richie's 20th birthday, and we have more reason than ever to celebrate. We would like to invite you to help make his victory over cancer!
On September 11, 2019 Richie, a high school swim captain freshly graduated and 3 weeks into his freshman year at Grand Valley State University, went to urgent care on his way to class for a little, nagging cough. Fast forward to the end of the day, they found a massive tumor as big as a dinner plate filling around 90% of his left lung cavity.
Then we waited. Finally, after the longest month of all our lives, we learn it's stage 2B Hodgkin's Lymphoma. We gather that's a little worse that your standard stage 3, and so much better than the feared stage 4 his uncle died from around the same age Richie is now. Best of all...they told him he would be fighting for a complete cure.
Since then, Richie moved back home to go through months of chemo and radiation. Including weeks in hospital beds, side effects from bone aches to terrible nausea. The anxiety of it alone was terrible to go through! But he was a champ the whole way. Always calm and polite and persevering.
Today, May 25 2020, 8 months after that urgent care vsist, Richie turns 20 years old. His tumor is a fraction of the size of it was, but to our knowledge the cancer is gone! He beat it.
A ton of people from across the world have reached out in prayer and hope for our brother. I have been telling people we'll put some sort of fundraiser together at the end of it so he can experience his victory over the past 8 months and all the suffering he went through. Well, this is that time!
One of the few things that kept his interest through the process was following Chicago Bulls basketball and the broader NBA. We figured, what better way to capstone his victory then to send him to a game with premier seats and an experience of a lifetime.
If we can raise the money, we would love to send him to a different city to watch his team play up close and personal, and to spend the weekend away with a friend or two. This is, of course, going to be when COVID is over and the world somewhat returns to normal. But we would love to give him something to look forward to.
Thank you for reading, and thank you Jesus for blessing us with a brother who is once again safe and healthy.
On September 11, 2019 Richie, a high school swim captain freshly graduated and 3 weeks into his freshman year at Grand Valley State University, went to urgent care on his way to class for a little, nagging cough. Fast forward to the end of the day, they found a massive tumor as big as a dinner plate filling around 90% of his left lung cavity.
Then we waited. Finally, after the longest month of all our lives, we learn it's stage 2B Hodgkin's Lymphoma. We gather that's a little worse that your standard stage 3, and so much better than the feared stage 4 his uncle died from around the same age Richie is now. Best of all...they told him he would be fighting for a complete cure.
Since then, Richie moved back home to go through months of chemo and radiation. Including weeks in hospital beds, side effects from bone aches to terrible nausea. The anxiety of it alone was terrible to go through! But he was a champ the whole way. Always calm and polite and persevering.
Today, May 25 2020, 8 months after that urgent care vsist, Richie turns 20 years old. His tumor is a fraction of the size of it was, but to our knowledge the cancer is gone! He beat it.
A ton of people from across the world have reached out in prayer and hope for our brother. I have been telling people we'll put some sort of fundraiser together at the end of it so he can experience his victory over the past 8 months and all the suffering he went through. Well, this is that time!
One of the few things that kept his interest through the process was following Chicago Bulls basketball and the broader NBA. We figured, what better way to capstone his victory then to send him to a game with premier seats and an experience of a lifetime.
If we can raise the money, we would love to send him to a different city to watch his team play up close and personal, and to spend the weekend away with a friend or two. This is, of course, going to be when COVID is over and the world somewhat returns to normal. But we would love to give him something to look forward to.
Thank you for reading, and thank you Jesus for blessing us with a brother who is once again safe and healthy.
Organizer
Peter Whaley
Organizer
Genoa Township, MI