For the last month I have struggled to find the right words to say. At the end of the day, it comes down to the shear, heart breaking fact that my Dad has cancer. You hear about people getting cancer and you know it exists, but you never think it will happen to you or your loved ones, until it does. I wish I could wake up to find that it’s all just a terrible nightmare, but it's reality. I wish I could take all of it away, but I can’t. What I can do is set every ounce of pride aside and ask for support from anyone who can lend it. After coming to the realization that this is really happening and realizing that I can’t help in every way that I would like to, I came here to share his story with you….
In 2012 my Dad felt an enlarged lymph node in his groin and went to the doctor to have it evaluated. After testing, the doctor determined it was Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Luckily all that was needed was to surgically remove the lymph node, no radiation neccesary! Whew! The cancer was caught early enough that it hadn’t spread.
Fast forward to this spring, my father was experiencing a lot of back, neck and shoulder pain, so he went to a walk-in-clinic, where they performed an x-ray of his upper back. The next day he had a CT scan and it showed deterioration and arthritis in his back. After deciding meds were not helping the back pain, as well as severe abdominal pain, his doctor ordered an MRI and its results showed a large mass of lymph nodes encasing the abdominal aorta, at the level of the renal arteries, further up to the esophagus. The diagnosis….Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Stage 3. My father has had a summer of maneuvering through biopsies, more image tests, blood tests, and recently had his second chemo cycle, with many more to come. The medical bills are piling up.
So this lead me to the reason you are reading this today. Separate from the costs incurred for treatment, costs for cancer drugs are astronomical! To put this into perspective, in 2012 the Food and Drug Administration approved 12 drugs for cancer conditions. 11 of the 12 drugs were priced above $100,000 for a year of treatment. I’m sure those of you who have battled cancer, or know someone who has, is well aware of the financial setback this causes a family. Prior to my father’s latest unfortunate news, he was still working two different jobs, beyond his retirement age, to make ends meet. It brings tears to my eyes to hear him show concern for his coworkers because he can’t help them. His doctor has ordered him to stay home and rest. My stepmother continues to work, trying to keep an income coming into the household, but she also is forced to reduce her workload so she can be at home to support her husband during his battle. She is now taking care of all of the household chores, pet chores (cats, dogs, horses) and errands. I am beyond thankful that she is right there by his side, taking great care of him. Knowing my father, words can’t express how helpless he must feel, not having the ability to provide for his family. I’m sure he is constantly worrying about the ones he places before him. He doesn’t want to burden anyone, even though he would be the first to offer help to others, if in the reverse situation. That’s my dad. At first, I created this page without his knowledge, because I knew he might think asking for financial help from others is not the way things were handled in “the old days”. I told him not to worry because with the power of prayer, understanding hearts, and social media today, the possibilities are endless…… I believe that when people come together, for a greater cause, amazing things can happen. My hope is that together, we can help him get through this fight without having to carry the financial burdens that rest on his shoulders. Every single prayer, positive thought, and donation will help more than my family or I could ever put into words. We will never forget those who choose to help us throughout this journey, and we will be forever grateful. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts!
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
I am also sharing a song my father wrote in remberence of Septembter 11, 2001. I hope it touches your heart as much as it does mine.
In 2012 my Dad felt an enlarged lymph node in his groin and went to the doctor to have it evaluated. After testing, the doctor determined it was Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Luckily all that was needed was to surgically remove the lymph node, no radiation neccesary! Whew! The cancer was caught early enough that it hadn’t spread.
Fast forward to this spring, my father was experiencing a lot of back, neck and shoulder pain, so he went to a walk-in-clinic, where they performed an x-ray of his upper back. The next day he had a CT scan and it showed deterioration and arthritis in his back. After deciding meds were not helping the back pain, as well as severe abdominal pain, his doctor ordered an MRI and its results showed a large mass of lymph nodes encasing the abdominal aorta, at the level of the renal arteries, further up to the esophagus. The diagnosis….Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Stage 3. My father has had a summer of maneuvering through biopsies, more image tests, blood tests, and recently had his second chemo cycle, with many more to come. The medical bills are piling up.
So this lead me to the reason you are reading this today. Separate from the costs incurred for treatment, costs for cancer drugs are astronomical! To put this into perspective, in 2012 the Food and Drug Administration approved 12 drugs for cancer conditions. 11 of the 12 drugs were priced above $100,000 for a year of treatment. I’m sure those of you who have battled cancer, or know someone who has, is well aware of the financial setback this causes a family. Prior to my father’s latest unfortunate news, he was still working two different jobs, beyond his retirement age, to make ends meet. It brings tears to my eyes to hear him show concern for his coworkers because he can’t help them. His doctor has ordered him to stay home and rest. My stepmother continues to work, trying to keep an income coming into the household, but she also is forced to reduce her workload so she can be at home to support her husband during his battle. She is now taking care of all of the household chores, pet chores (cats, dogs, horses) and errands. I am beyond thankful that she is right there by his side, taking great care of him. Knowing my father, words can’t express how helpless he must feel, not having the ability to provide for his family. I’m sure he is constantly worrying about the ones he places before him. He doesn’t want to burden anyone, even though he would be the first to offer help to others, if in the reverse situation. That’s my dad. At first, I created this page without his knowledge, because I knew he might think asking for financial help from others is not the way things were handled in “the old days”. I told him not to worry because with the power of prayer, understanding hearts, and social media today, the possibilities are endless…… I believe that when people come together, for a greater cause, amazing things can happen. My hope is that together, we can help him get through this fight without having to carry the financial burdens that rest on his shoulders. Every single prayer, positive thought, and donation will help more than my family or I could ever put into words. We will never forget those who choose to help us throughout this journey, and we will be forever grateful. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts!
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
I am also sharing a song my father wrote in remberence of Septembter 11, 2001. I hope it touches your heart as much as it does mine.
Organizer and beneficiary
Curtis Wheeler
Beneficiary