Help Erin Cross’ Fight Against Cancer

Hello everyone,

Although many of you already know, we understand that some of you are learning about the news of Erin’s colon cancer diagnosis from the posting of this GoFundMe.

While some of you might know Erin through the art and academics world or Matthew through the world of tattooing, others of you might know them through one of their many passions and hobbies. Maybe some of you know them through the activities and schools that their two amazing daughters have attended or maybe you just followed the link that someone you know shared. Whatever the case, thank you for taking the time to stop by.

As for any of us, asking for help can be a hard pill to swallow, so we thought we’d take it upon ourselves to help set up this account for them.

So, a little backstory thus far…

In 2012, Erin navigated the findings and removal of cancerous and pre-cancerous polyps both in her colon and breast. She was scheduled for a 6 month regimen of checkups, that eased into to 2 year check ups and ultimately every 5 years. Over the years she developed food sensitivities and other obscure health conditions that culminated in an emergency gall bladder removal in Sept of last year, 2022.

JULY:

Erin grew fatigued and her digestive issues seemed to surface again. That was quickly followed by the onset of jaundice and after a trip to the ER, it was discovered that there was a peach sized mass on her liver. An initial thought was stage 1 liver cancer, but after a biopsy found colon/rectum DNA within the mass, the doctors hypothesized stage 4 colon cancer.

AUGUST:

A PET scan and colonoscopy were done and found there was no indication of any other masses, thus leading the oncologist to believe they were strictly dealing with the tumor on the liver. This produced a diagnosis of an aggressive form of Bile Duct Cancer and surgery was scheduled for early September to be followed by chemotherapy.

SEPTEMBER:

However, when the date of surgery arrived earlier this month, the surgeon found other polyps that had not shown up on the PET scan. The surgery was halted and a biopsy of the polyps was quickly administered. The results came back cancerous and gave indication that Erin is dealing with the previous hypothesis of colon cancer. So, the surgery to remove the liver mass was cancelled and a waiting game ensued for the oncologist and surgeon to develop a plan.

Erin is now scheduled to begin chemotherapy, to halt the growth of any new cancer and try to shrink the masses that have already grown to assist a more productive removal with surgery that will then follow. After that, another round of chemotherapy to follow.

We can’t imagine the rollercoaster that they have already been put through with just the process of a diagnosis and now they head down the road of treatment.

We know that Erin’s and Matthew’s circles spread far and wide and thought this platform would be a great way for many of you to lend a hand. They have always been great spirits in giving back to their communities and we hope their communities can now help them.

The stark reality beyond a cancer diagnosis at the age of 42, is the fact that each of them had a professional career in their respective fields to now Matthew being the sole financial provider, all while being the constant for Erin and the girls during a time of crisis. This GoFundMe and all who contribute are providing a lifeline to Matthew, Erin and their daughters.

Thank you.

**To Erin and Matthew, you are not alone and you have a whole community with you. We love you guys.**

All our thanks and love to you all,

Family and Friends of Erin Cross and Matthew Luettger