- M
- J
For those who may not already know, the six of us kids that call Dennis McKown our dad are broken hearted to tell you that Dennis was officially diagnosed with stage four terminal Cholangiocarcinoma (or Cancer of the Bile Duct) on Thursday, December 1st, 2016. Due to the aggressive nature of this form of liver cancer, the fact that the cancer has metastasized to both lungs and also his lymph nodes, as well as considering the advanced stage of his diagnosis, dad has been given approximately 3-6 months to live.
We want you to know that in light of the diagnosis and the projected timeline, our parents – Dennis and Anita – have prayerfully considered the following three available options for managing dad’s diagnosis: 1) attack the cancer with chemotherapy, 2) avoid treatment and manage the quality of life as best as possible or 3) seek alternative, holistic forms of treatment other than chemotherapy. At the end of the day they both felt that seeking alternative, holistic forms of treatment was the best option for dad. In his case the chemotherapy was only offered as a short term solution and was by no means a guarantee – meaning it would likely only provide 3-6 months more if his body even responded to the treatment at all at this point. And for those of you who know dad well his treatment of choice will not come as a surprise as not only is he known to be a fierce competitor and fighter but he also has recently experienced incredibly positive results with the alternative, holistic treatment of his high cholesterol and recommended quintuple bypass surgery.
Following his weekend trip home to the Northwest to see family, friends and former students from more than 40 years of teaching, Dad flew to Tijuana, Mexico on Monday, December 12th to enroll in Gerson Plus Therapy – a treatment plan that incorporates a strict targeted nutritional diet with dozens of other holistic remedies and treatments. He and Anita will both be staying at the inpatient treatment center for the next 3 weeks. For more information about Gerson Plus Therapy please visit Gerson Plus Therapy (Click Here) . This form of treatment has been known to produce unbelievable results, sometimes extending the life of stage four cancer patients by several years. We are all hopeful and much more importantly, dad is hopeful as well.
However, the expense related to this treatment is significant – the initial upfront cost was $50,000 and depending on the success of the first round of treatment there may be additional take-home expenses to account for over the coming months (and God willing, years). As you can imagine, the bulk of these expenses are not covered by medical insurance. In response to the question that we’ve been asked many times over the past couple weeks – “how can we help support Dennis and Anita during this time,” we’ve set up a GoFundMe account where 100% of your donations go directly to our parents and will help them to meet tangible and material medical expenses and needs over the coming months. If you’re able, please consider supporting Dennis and Anita financially during this time. What we cannot hope to accomplish on our own we can easily accomplish together. Every little bit helps.
Lastly, the six of us children would like you all to know that your thoughts, your prayers and your encouragement mean the world to dad and to the rest of the family. We would like to petition for your continued support during the next couple months – please keep praying for both Dennis and Anita. Please keep reaching out by phone, text, email and Facebook (yes the parents are still accessible while in Tijuana) to let them know that you love them and are rooting for them from afar. We also are humbly aware that we are not alone in our struggle – that this life is full of struggles and many have suffered, or may still be suffering, far more than we do now. We are thankful to God for the time we’ve been given and for the life our dad has lived to this point. And because of who our dad is at his very core, we join him in prayer and support for those of you dealing with your own challenges. We do so because this is what he has done and is still doing in spite of his current condition. Please know that our family appreciates each of you standing with us during this difficult time and we in turn want nothing more than to be able to stand with each of you when the time calls for such an action.
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“These are things I can't change. Not one of them. Can't fix, can't heal, can't put the broken pieces back together. But what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's all any of us can do. That's what we're here for. Not the battle lines, keeping people in and out. Not the "pro" and "anti" stances, but the presence, the listening, the praying with and for on the days when it all falls apart, when life shatters in our hands.”
– Shauna Niequist, Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes
We want you to know that in light of the diagnosis and the projected timeline, our parents – Dennis and Anita – have prayerfully considered the following three available options for managing dad’s diagnosis: 1) attack the cancer with chemotherapy, 2) avoid treatment and manage the quality of life as best as possible or 3) seek alternative, holistic forms of treatment other than chemotherapy. At the end of the day they both felt that seeking alternative, holistic forms of treatment was the best option for dad. In his case the chemotherapy was only offered as a short term solution and was by no means a guarantee – meaning it would likely only provide 3-6 months more if his body even responded to the treatment at all at this point. And for those of you who know dad well his treatment of choice will not come as a surprise as not only is he known to be a fierce competitor and fighter but he also has recently experienced incredibly positive results with the alternative, holistic treatment of his high cholesterol and recommended quintuple bypass surgery.
Following his weekend trip home to the Northwest to see family, friends and former students from more than 40 years of teaching, Dad flew to Tijuana, Mexico on Monday, December 12th to enroll in Gerson Plus Therapy – a treatment plan that incorporates a strict targeted nutritional diet with dozens of other holistic remedies and treatments. He and Anita will both be staying at the inpatient treatment center for the next 3 weeks. For more information about Gerson Plus Therapy please visit Gerson Plus Therapy (Click Here) . This form of treatment has been known to produce unbelievable results, sometimes extending the life of stage four cancer patients by several years. We are all hopeful and much more importantly, dad is hopeful as well.
However, the expense related to this treatment is significant – the initial upfront cost was $50,000 and depending on the success of the first round of treatment there may be additional take-home expenses to account for over the coming months (and God willing, years). As you can imagine, the bulk of these expenses are not covered by medical insurance. In response to the question that we’ve been asked many times over the past couple weeks – “how can we help support Dennis and Anita during this time,” we’ve set up a GoFundMe account where 100% of your donations go directly to our parents and will help them to meet tangible and material medical expenses and needs over the coming months. If you’re able, please consider supporting Dennis and Anita financially during this time. What we cannot hope to accomplish on our own we can easily accomplish together. Every little bit helps.
Lastly, the six of us children would like you all to know that your thoughts, your prayers and your encouragement mean the world to dad and to the rest of the family. We would like to petition for your continued support during the next couple months – please keep praying for both Dennis and Anita. Please keep reaching out by phone, text, email and Facebook (yes the parents are still accessible while in Tijuana) to let them know that you love them and are rooting for them from afar. We also are humbly aware that we are not alone in our struggle – that this life is full of struggles and many have suffered, or may still be suffering, far more than we do now. We are thankful to God for the time we’ve been given and for the life our dad has lived to this point. And because of who our dad is at his very core, we join him in prayer and support for those of you dealing with your own challenges. We do so because this is what he has done and is still doing in spite of his current condition. Please know that our family appreciates each of you standing with us during this difficult time and we in turn want nothing more than to be able to stand with each of you when the time calls for such an action.
____________________________________________________________
“These are things I can't change. Not one of them. Can't fix, can't heal, can't put the broken pieces back together. But what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's all any of us can do. That's what we're here for. Not the battle lines, keeping people in and out. Not the "pro" and "anti" stances, but the presence, the listening, the praying with and for on the days when it all falls apart, when life shatters in our hands.”
– Shauna Niequist, Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes
Organizer and beneficiary
Dennis McKown
Beneficiary