Help Hollandsworths Survive Battle 4 with Cancer

Meet the Hollandsworths

Mitch and Paige Hollandsworth are back in their fourth battle with cancer! This is their fourth confrontation in their six short years of marriage. These two are the warmest, most loving, most generous, positive, and supportive people you could ever meet. If you know them, you LOVE them!

This young couple are like the children I never had. I love them so much and could not love them more if they were my very own. As newlyweds in August of 2017, they discovered Mitch’s cancer for the first time. They tackled it with fearlessness and have worked closely with doctors to keep things under control. To no avail, they had to undergo intense treatment plans and surgery to keep Mitch healthy. And now Mitch is up against his 4th battle and the fiercest fight of all!

Mitch’s Current Prognosis

These are the words of Paige Hollandsworth, Mitch’s wife. She helped me understand their horrific current situation. I could not be more heartbroken for them and their beautiful family.

It’s been a tough few months/weeks. Right after Cedar (their young son) was born in March Mitch started to feel pain in his back again. This was one of the signs we noticed in his earlier battles with cancer. He kept getting sick and experiencing a low immune system.

We spoke with Mitch’s doctors and on April 7 he went down to Utah for an appointment. They scheduled a CT scan for April 13 and on April 15 in the middle of the night, Mitch woke up in more pain than I have ever seen him in. The pain would not go away so he went to the Emergency Room. The ER performed another CT scan. The radiologist confirmed that Mitch had multiple swollen lymph nodes and one that was pressing against his kidney causing tremendous pain. This was definitely NOT what we wanted to hear!

Both CT scans were sent to his doctors at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. On Monday, April 17 the doctors decided he needed to come back down to Utah for a biopsy. Mitch went down on May 2 and on May 8 we received a phone call confirming his pure seminoma had come back. Mitch’s previous chemotherapy regimen usually cures patients of germ cell cancer. He is now the 1% of people having this cancer reoccur.

On May 10 his team of doctors met with other cancer specialists to make a game plan for Mitch. Everyone came to an agreement that Mitch would need to undergo a Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection.

This surgery is very invasive and starts by opening him from the top of his ribcage to the bottom of his stomach. They remove all of Mitch’s organs and scrape out 20-30 lymph nodes from the left side of his body. They will remove some from the right side of his body to even things out.

Concerns with this surgery are that his insides are gummy due to the chemotherapy treatments previously experienced. Mitch has a high chance of losing his kidney. The doctors also mentioned the concern of hitting his aortic artery but have a plan to mitigate that issue if it arises.

Mitch’s recovery will be at least two long months. He must be on a special low-fat diet and will not be able to hold either of our cute kiddos during his recovery. After his body recovers from the surgery, he may have to undergo more chemotherapy depending on what pathology finds post-surgery.

What’s Next for Mitch?

Paige knows this is all going to be hard and very stressful. But they have learned through their previous battles with cancer that they will come out on top when they have faith and work together. They have already endured more trials than any person should experience in a lifetime. Something I love about them is that they face life with a smile and the courage to do what is right.

Mitch is the best husband and father! I’m forever grateful for him and his example of positivity when life gets tough. I have honestly never met someone tougher.

If All of This Wasn’t Enough

Paige shared some terrible news she received two days ago from the University of Utah Health. The message explained Mitch and Paige’s insurance provider may not be continuing their contract with the University of Utah Health as an in-network provider. If an agreement is not met by July 1, 2023, their facility will no longer be covered in-network and this will astronomically increase the already debilitating cost to treat Mitch’s illness.

Mitch and Paige Need Our Help!

The money raised will go directly to Paige and Mitch. They need relief from the huge financial burden of this terrible disease. At a minimum, the Hollandsworth's portion for Mitch's medical treatment will be $18,000. Sadly they also need to calculate the cost for Paige and the kids to travel back and forth to Utah and stay in a hotel while Mitch has surgery and recovers for several days.

Why This Matters

Mitch and Paige are two of the most wonderful human beings I know. They help, support, and lift everyone around them. They love everyone like family and fill this world with joy. They never ask for anything. They only give. I hope in some small way that we can relieve their burden, and calm their fears, alleviate the stress of this dreadful battle. Three previous rounds of cancer have devastated this young family financially and in every possible way. I want them to have the hope and emotional strength to kick this crippling disease!

Help us #fightwithmitch

Any amount will help us get to their goal!