My name is Jessica and I am sharing this story on behalf of my cousin Cassy and her husband Darrell.

Tuesday January 2nd is a day that Darrell Mentch and his family will never forget. Darrell is 41 years old and has been diagnosed with an aggressive stage 4 colorectal cancer that spread to multiple areas. The cancer cell type is called Adenocarcinoma.

A few years ago, Darrell was diagnosed with a condition called MGUS or Monoclonal Gammopathy of undetermined significance. MGUS is a precancerous condition and the most common plasma cell disorder. Then in November of 2023 Darrell became anemic so his doctor ordered Venofer infusions for four weeks which are Iron Sucrose infusions. He felt a little better but was still experiencing stomach discomfort. This brings us to January 2nd of this year where Darrell was diagnosed first with Sepsis with concerns of suspicious spots throughout his abdomen seen on a CT scan. At St. Luke's Hospital in Milwaukee, where he was transferred, the news kept getting worse.

They found a mass in his rectum, shadows in his Liver, two spots in his upper colon, and two perforations in his intestines. A colonoscopy was attempted to give a better visual of what they were dealing with before they would repair the perforations. The colonoscopy was prevented due to the size of the cancerous mass in his rectum which was biopsied and confirmed that he has cancer. They treated the perforations by giving antibiotics and taking blood cultures to identify what was causing the infection, then soon after performed a Laparoscopic Ileostomy Creation where they placed an ostomy bag to allow the perforations to hopefully heal. This is only the beginning for Darrell! The cancer spread from his rectum to his Liver (stage 4) and so an aggressive treatment plan is needed.

Darrell will be undergoing a very aggressive form of chemotherapy through a port that was installed on the 18th of January. He will also be doing Immunotherapy if they feel he will respond. The current prognosis is 3 to 5 years.

Darrell is just 41 years old! He is a husband and father of four children. His wife, Cassy, and their kids, Hunter 16, twins Max and Henry ages 11, and Lily 9. This aggressive cancer and treatment journey is going to prevent Darrell from working and Cassy currently works two jobs. They need your help as the financial burden of a family of 6 is in and of itself tough but then factor in one less income and endless out of pocket medical bills that have already begun that aren't completely covered by insurance. This family needs our help! Any monetary donations will be put towards the medical treatment expenses.

This young father of four holds onto the motivation to fight Cancer because of his love for his family. He knows this will be the toughest journey physically, mentally, and emotionally. Your prayers, well wishes, donations, and support are so important, and we are all incredibly grateful! Words simply cannot express but truly, THANK YOU!

#Darrellstrong We have created a Facebook group where our community can help him stay strong and positive! A terrible dad joke or chat about cars may be just what he needs ❤ Join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3111416248988799/