Help Clyde Fight Rare Pancreatic Cancer

Our family is reaching out for support for Clyde Cruz, who was recently diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of pancreatic cancer, adenocarcinoma with a prominent sarcomatoid component. Just a few days after our family lost our matriarch to colon cancer, Clyde walked into the ER with stomach pain and walked out with news that changed everything. Despite the severity of his diagnosis, Clyde is one of the rare patients who is eligible for surgery giving him a real and hopeful chance to fight for more years with his wife , daughters, and family.

Clyde's Story

If you know Clyde, you know the kind of man he is, steady, humble, hardworking, and the first to show up when someone needs help. He’s the person who answers his phone no matter the hour, drives across town to fix a leaking pipe for a friend, spends weekends helping family replace flooring after a flood, and once built handmade backdrops for his brother’s wedding just because he knew it would make the day special.He’s a devoted husband a loving father and the kind of person who makes everyone feel taken care of.

In October, our family suffered the heartbreaking loss of our matriarch to cancer. We were still grieving when Clyde began experiencing sharp stomach pain and went to the ER. After tests and scans, doctors discovered that Clyde has a rare and aggressive form of pancreatic cancer — pancreatic adenocarcinoma with a prominent sarcomatoid component. Pancreatic cancer is known for being challenging to detect early. Most people aren't diagnosed until the cancer has spread, which is why survival rates are often low. Clyde’s case gave us something rare, he is a candidate for surgery, which is one of the strongest predictors of survival and successful treatment. Being eligible for surgery puts Clyde into the group of patients with a significantly higher chance of long-term survival, and we are holding tightly onto that hope.

The timing of this diagnosis has been overwhelming. Clyde had just taken a brave step to start his own handyman business after spending more than ten years as a respected technician in maintenance services. He was excited to build something for his family but due to the debilitating nature of this disease and with treatment beginning immediately, Clyde is unable to work.

This means:

Loss of income

Mounting medical bills

Ongoing household expenses

Travel and recovery needs

Support for Amanda and the girls

Our family is pulling together in every way we can, but the financial load is heavy, and treatment will be long and demanding. All support raised will go directly toward Clyde’s medical bills, cancer treatment, surgery and recovery treatment. It will also help fill the gap of household expenses so the family can stay afloat due to loss of income while Clyde is unable to work.

Clyde has spent his entire life being the helper now he’s the one who needs a community behind him. Your support will make a meaningful difference.

Our family is hopeful, we are prayerful, and we are standing with Clyde as he begins this battle. Thank you for standing with Clyde too.