Eric Boyer is known to so many, far and wide - as a brilliant artist, a sculptor with an inquisitive and philosophizing mind, a grand tinkerer, an amateur cheesemaker, and a loving devotee to his family. Eric is someone who is completely at ease living his life imbued with immense creativity and experimentation, stemming from the beginnings of his artistic career in Vermont to his rural home currently in Washington. Everyone who has spent time with him can feel the sense of curiosity and great warmth that shines through his spirit. He has always lived robustly - as an avid rock climber, a fearless traveler, diving into a farm homestead with his partner, Laura—there has always been a lust for life in all its wonder and joy in being able to express himself in it.
In April last year, Eric was diagnosed with P16+ Head and Neck cancer. He has faced this immensely challenging and heart-wrenching time by summoning up all of these wonderful aspects of his character. His steady nature has helped him take each next step, even when being confronted with the endless barrage of new information, challenging treatments and debilitating side effects.
Currently, Eric is healing as best as he can, working towards the next recommended phase of treatment. This fundraiser has been created with the hope of easing the burden of medical expenses and travel costs so that Eric can give himself fully to his healing process.
We also hope that this may serve as a thread, sparking connection with people from Eric’s many chapters of life, to help him to feel buoyed by the care and love in your words, messages and prayers through this difficult time.
Eric Boyer’s Cancer Journey~
In spring of 2025, Eric was diagnosed with head and neck cancer after discovering a lump on the left side of his neck, originating in his tonsil. He spent the winter seeking answers as it grew.
This tumor was immediately deemed inoperable because it was entangled with his carotid artery. In July, after exploring treatment options, he began an arduous course of radiation to the neck and jaw area of his head, along with weekly intravenous chemotherapy infusions. Eric and Laura commuted two hours each day for seven weeks to his cancer center.
In preparation for this treatment, surgeons placed an IV port in his chest and a feeding tube in his belly—all of Eric’s eating and swallowing functions were taken completely offline during treatment, and then for several more months post treatment. Though he has regained the ability to eat, Eric struggles with prolonged radiation damage to his salivary glands that has halted his saliva production and he is currently only able to consume liquids and puréed food.
Alongside the “standard of care” of chemo and radiation, Eric also sought alternative support working with an integrative oncologist, a doctor of Chinese medicine, and received acupuncture weekly. All of these treatments were hugely supportive for his nutrition and his physical and spiritual well-being and aided his healing throughout this grueling journey.
Although brought to his knees both physically and emotionally by one of the hardest cancer treatments there is, Eric’s health and spirits visibly improved and he spent the fall recovering.
In late October, his scan showed NED—no evidence of disease—and his oncologist deemed him in remission. He and our entire family breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Eric returned to his studio with a renewed enthusiasm for life and full creative force - following through with two planned gallery shows in Seattle and Chicago.
Life felt full of renewed possibilities, even while still facing so much healing ahead.
Three days after Christmas, Eric had a slight misstep on some stairs that catastrophically broke his left femur. During emergency surgery to place a long rod in his leg, the surgeon discovered that the cancer had metastasized into his bone, causing the extreme degradation and fragility that resulted in his massive break. Though it had likely been present in his body for some time, the cancer’s existence had not appeared on any of Eric’s previous scans. It was a devastating setback.
In January, several weeks into healing on a medical bed in their living room from his major surgery, Eric developed severe hypocalcemia from the fast progression of the cancer and was hospitalized again for eight days. In order to halt the cancer’s growth, the deterioration of his hip and femur and the furthering of the hypocalcemia, Eric rushed into another round of radiation to treat his left leg.
Eric has spent February until now recovering from the side effects of radiation. The radiation has caused severe bone marrow damage that now impacts his body’s ability to create blood, as well as a cascade of issues with his electrolyte and mineral balances. He has now received three blood transfusions, and continues to need IV fluid infusions and monitoring through blood labs three times a week.
In addition to the cancer found in his left leg, a full body scan also found a tumor in his head, behind his nose in his nasopharynx cavity. His oncologists suspect this was a missed part of his previous tumor. After seeing specialists at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle late January, they deemed this tumor too dangerous to operate on or to treat for now, until Eric’s health is stronger.
Today, Mid March 2026:
Eric is recovering from the side effects of radiation and traveling the 2 hours for treatments and blood labs three times a week.
He is incredibly weak and requires a lot of rest and sleep to heal.
Currently his mobility is restricted to the use of a walker for stability and support.
In addition to treatment at the cancer center, Eric has regular Home Health visits from an occupational therapist, physical therapist and speech therapist to support the slow healing of his bone and use of his leg, as well as his continued healing from treatments last summer and the effects on his head and neck.
Eric has begun to take small walks in the yard with his walker when his energy is up, and spends a lot of the time that he is on his feet gazing at the bay and the mountains pondering creative projects and the meaning of life.
His Goals:
Eric is so very eager to get back to feeling better, creating and living life again.
His oncologists are encouraging him to pursue immunotherapy treatments to treat the cancer in his head and mitigate further metastasis—he is striving to get his health and strength back to a place where he is well enough to begin these treatments.
To do this, he would like to work again with his integrative oncologist for supplement guidance specific to his cancer type, and begin IV vitamin C and hyperbaric oxygen treatments—all of these treatments will speed up his body’s ability to repair itself and help him begin the recommended immunotherapies sooner.
None of these additional treatments are covered by insurance. The treatments, doctor fees and supplements are all expensive. Travel to these treatments and time away, also come with costs. With mounting hospital bills already, daily living expenses alongside limited energy for working, any amount of financial support will help him gain spaciousness to give his focus to healing.
The grace and mastery that Eric brings to the creation of his sculpture, he has also brought to his cancer battle. He has shown the depth of his resilience and humility, the lightness of his humor, and his uncanny ability to see beauty in absolutely everything. He has been a quiet warrior, holding a huge capacity for suffering through all of this without indulging in self pity. He is an absolute inspiration to all of us!
Please share what you can to help him in his recovery.
With our deepest gratitude,
Eric’s loving Family