Help Sarah Fight Cancer

My name is Aidan Hoyle. Four years ago, I married a woman with whom I intended to spend the rest of my life. We dreamed of raising a family, striving upward, and serving God. Like anything worth doing, such a path is bound to contain many difficulties and obstacles. In our case, such an obstacle is my wife’s recent diagnosis of stage 3 cancer.

My wife Sarah and I met in Kodiak, Alaska, where we dedicated over a decade of our lives as full-time volunteers for a nonprofit mission. Over time we increasingly found a spark and chemistry between us. After years of working alongside each other, a loving relationship blossomed, and we were married in the summer of 2018.

Later that year, while pregnant with our first daughter, Sarah noticed a painful, ulcer-like abscess on her tongue. It seemed to get milder or more intense in response to Sarah's diet, and she thought it might be an allergic reaction. A year or so went by, and upon her dentist's recommendation, she went to get it looked at for possible cancer. The doctor told her he thought it wasn't cancer, so Sarah decided to see if she could be rid of it by eliminating certain foods, sometimes losing hope and just deciding that she might have to live with the pain.

During this time, God blessed us with two beautiful little girls, Dorothea(3) and Nina(1). Both girls conveniently share our love of reading, singing, and talking. Not so conveniently, however, they demand that we constantly read, sing and talk with them! They love animals (from a distance), going on walks with Mommy, and relishing in the beauty of the world around them. Living in Kodiak was perfect for such pastimes, but it began to be clear that it was time for a change last year. We could no longer balance working as volunteers and our family's needs. In the fall of 2021, we prepared to move to Florence, Arizona, to begin a new chapter in our life. We had no idea at the time what struggles lay ahead.

In May of this year, the pain and size of Sarah’s abscess began to increase at an alarming rate. When some of our friends with medical experience saw it, they were immediately concerned and insisted that she have it tested without delay. It was at this time that our fears were confirmed. Also, while necessary for diagnoses, the biopsy seemed to have caused the cancer to spread to the lymph nodes.

Soon after, Sarah and I began researching treatment options. We found that every hospital covered by Medicaid would not treat her without first removing most of her tongue and replacing it with a piece of muscle from her leg or arm, and removing the affected lymph nodes. This procedure would be necessary to prevent the tumor from growing to block her airway, but in exchange, it would require her to relearn how to speak, eat, and swallow, though never normally or easily.

At this point, we were faced with a difficult decision. Sarah considered the prospect of being unable to speak, read and sing to her daughters and of course, the possibility of an untimely death.

Several alternative treatments were recommended by friends and family who had dealt with cancer themselves. Frightened but determined, Sarah decided she would rather fight the cancer at home before resorting to radical surgical intervention. I had begun work as a self-employed carpenter and I was able to adjust my work hours to help at home with our girls and with Sarah’s treatments. It wasn’t long before we were unable to manage even that, and I had to stop work altogether, indefinitely. Meanwhile, numerous friends and family began hearing of Sarah’s condition and unhesitatingly offered all manner of help and generosity, not to mention a multitude of prayers.

After more than a month-long struggle of a strict regimen of treatments at home, the tumor on Sarah's tongue had shrunk significantly. It wasn't by any means gone, but it was a much more desired outcome than the predicted growth toward obstructing her air passage. There were still many concerns, though. The pain was still intense, often leaving Sarah sleepless for most of the night. Also, she was sometimes unable to get out of bed during the day due to the intense inflammation of her lymph nodes. Also, it was unclear if the cancer in the lymph nodes was healing at the same rate as the tongue. On top of it all, this process had exhausted our savings, and the financial assistance of generous friends. Therefore, continuing this treatment for an indeterminate time seemed unwise, if not impossible.

We decided to seek treatment somewhere that hopefully could accurately monitor and increase her progress, assist her pain, and see this fight through to its completion. We found a treatment center that inspires our confidence, is only an hour away and supports keeping Sarah in one piece. It is, however, not covered by state insurance. The intended goal is to raise enough funds to pay for Sarah's treatment, including several nutritional and medicinal purchases and some supplementary income that will allow me to continue helping Sarah and the children at home.

Until now, I never experienced quite how humbling it is, not only to be on the receiving end of so much generosity but to be publicly asking for more. The things that push me to do so are my love for my wife and children and my experience of reaching out to help alleviate the suffering of others. I can’t be sure if and when we’ll make it through this trial, but I do know what it means to be cared for in the midst of it, and that makes a world of difference.

Thank you for all your generosity, and please keep our family in your prayers!