Dane Kissel's - Recovery Fund

On March 17th, Dane went through what we hoped to be a simple colonoscopy procedure to resolve some gastrointestinal symptoms he had been having. In typical Dane-form, going into it, he joked with friends and family that he had a big video gig that day and that they would find his pot o’ gold on St. Paddy’s Day. During the procedure, the doctor discovered a large, concerning mass blocking the lower end of his large intestine. Dane was urged to complete a CT Scan and went in on March 27th, which showed a large bowel obstruction caused by the mass and lesions in other areas of his body. His doctor immediately went into action and had Maddy take Dane to the hospital where he spent 4 days. Following his discharge from the hospital, Maddy and Dane met with his oncologist on March 31st and received the diagnosis of Stage IV Rectal Cancer. We are glad to have Dane receiving care at one of the best comprehensive cancer centers in the nation. We are awaiting the results of additional testing to determine the best treatment approach, which will likely include aggressive chemotherapy to rid his body of the cancer, among what we hope will be other treatment options down the line. 

In the pandemic year, when social events were down and there was less videography work, Dane pivoted quickly to working as a delivery driver for Instacart while also getting his FAA drone license set up. Dane has always been passionate about film and videography and a recent passion in drone flying which he is eager to merge into a professional service. Dane is also the cook and baker in the household and loves to watch cooking videos and try out recipes to impress Maddy (and mostly himself). During his treatment and recovery process, he will not be able to earn money and will be cooking less often. This fund is to help support Dane in paying his medical costs and meeting the needs of their household. 

A small team of Dane’s family and friends are meeting regularly to develop a plan on how to support him and Maddy during treatment and recovery. If you would like to offer your support, there are multiples ways to do this:

First way is to donate to this GoFundMe. We don’t know how long treatment will last or all that it will entail and then how long recovery could take, but we anticipate both will put Dane out of commission for quite some time. Therefore, we are aiming for a very high fundraising goal.

Second, please share the GoFundMe with others as every dollar counts in assisting the family during a tough time. We all have a so many great “Classic Dane” stories to share, so share one and help us surpass our goal. Two things that Dane loves most are funny stories and funny stories about him. Show the love!

Third way is visit Dane and Maddy’s MealTrain page and sign up for one or more of the slots that are open. MealTrain details will be included in an upcoming update since they are still learning about Dane’s dietary needs.

Lastly, Dane and Maddy will take all positive thoughts, prayers, love and support that you can muster. We all have a long row to hoe, but with an incredible village surrounding them, walking alongside them in this time in their lives, they will be able to fight this fight.

Please give what you can to support such a loving, joyful, and hilarious guy who has given us all so many memories and laughs. We know that Dane appreciates all the love and support!