What Wood You Do…to help the Wood Family?

 

This isn’t just a post. It’s an important plea to help our friend, Justin Wood, and his family…in any way you can. Justin is a son, a brother, a husband, a father, and a genuine friend.

 

Ten years ago, Justin was diagnosed with clear cell chondrosarcoma. [For the full story, read about Justin’s journey below in his wife, Samantha’s words.] He’s been in remission and in his prime at 35 years old – settling into his career as a business owner, getting married, starting a family, and really figuring life out. But life throws curveballs at the most inconvenient and unexpected times. Recently, Justin was informed that the chondrosarcoma has returned, and this time, it’s bringing significant life-altering changes.

 

This type of cancer cannot be treated with chemotherapy or radiation. The only option is to remove it. The road to recovery will be long and expensive. Justin has been unable to work, with no idea of when he’ll be able to again, and in addition to regular expenses, the medical bills are piling up.

 

Whether you know him by Justin, J-Wood, or Wood, you know he’s a stubborn, very proud, very loud, and often a hilarious guy. Asking for help just isn’t his style. So, that’s where we (his friends and family) come in…

 

Since we heard the news, we’ve all been trying to empathize, asking ourselves what we would do in his situation – unable to work, with a toddler and growing family now only supported by one income, a tough recovery on the horizon, and lots of expenses. And now, we’re asking you… What Wood You Do?

 

Every little bit helps, whether you can spare $5 or $500, consider donating. If you’re unable to donate, consider helping with a meal plan, sharing any resources for financial relief, leave some love on this page, share the hell out of this message, and show support with the hashtag below.

 

Sincerely,

Friends & Family of Justin Wood

 

#jwoodstrong

 

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From Justin’s wife, Samantha:

 

Hello Everyone,

 

Fair warning - This is going to be a long one. I hope you’ll stick around through the good and the bad. This is Samantha Wood, Justin's wife. Writing this is definitely one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, and Justin has ever had to accept. But here we are, swallowing our pride and reaching out.

 

Let's start at the beginning... I met Justin when I was 19 years old - 10 years ago, just 3 months shy of his first surgery. He was supposed to still be using crutches, but… in typical J-Wood fashion, very strong-willed, doesn't take sh*t from anyone, will beat the odds every time... he was not using them. Despite him having no job, living at home with his parents, and being unable to drive from his recent surgery, he somehow managed to still sweep me off my feet. We spent almost every single night together that summer in 2011, and we haven't stopped since.

 

Now, let me share a little about his first surgery, which leads into what is going on today. I was not actually by his side for this one, as we met during his recovery. However, his loving sister, mother and father can attest to all the trials and tribulations he went through. It started out in 2010 as a pain in Justin's hip. The pain progressively got worse, to the point he would fall over trying to put pants/shorts on. After going through weeks and months of imaging & painful testing, they finally determined Justin had clear cell chondrosarcoma in his pelvis and femur. This is a very rare type of bone cancer for someone at the young age of 25. It grows starting at the cartilage and invades your bones. With no ability to treat the cancer with chemotherapy or radiation, the only option is to remove the tumor. So, in Justin's case, he had his femur and hip bone removed and replaced with a fake hip and metal femur. After this surgery, Justin's long road of recovery lasted several months. But his new hip and leg were working out better than expected. Initially, he went for regular scans every few months. Then, as time went on and each scan came back clear, he was able to go less frequently - on a yearly basis.

 

Fast Forward a few years…life is great. Justin is thriving. We were living at the beach, running a water sports business. His scans were routinely clear, and he continued to be in remission. We came back home to Carroll County in 2017 and purchased our first home in November of 2018. We had our first child, Oaklynn Summers Wood, who is our saving grace. We got married on August 29, 2020, with our beautiful baby girl as the flower girl. My loving husband stood at the end of the church aisle and walked beside me, as we celebrated our marriage with family and friends. Our wedding was something that back in 2011 he had to consider may never have been an option at some point in his life. August 28th we celebrate our 1-year anniversary. Crazy how fast time flies! As we celebrate this milestone together, we’re both acutely aware of how quickly things can take a turn, how fragile our lives are, and how much we cherish one another and the family we’ve created.

 

This brings us to the current day, October 1, 2021. I’m sitting here trying to put together the details of our life in this quick narrative, and I am slowly realizing just how hard that is to do when you've been through SO much in such a short period of our lives. We’ve had 10 years together, filled with the good, the bad, the amazing, and the unthinkable. Now, as a 29-year-old wife and mother, I’m bearing my soul, writing our story as if it's about to end. It's a terrifying thought and something I wouldn’t wish on even my worst enemy. Granted our story does NOT end here, but life as we know it today will not be same. It is about to go through a really big change - one that both, Justin, and myself, are still working on accepting. I’m here sharing bits and pieces of our journey, to put into perspective how much we’ve already been through and in hopes that we can raise some funds and get a little bit of relief in our lives. We’re already overwhelmed with the influx of medical bills, and the financial burden of supporting a family on only my income. We will be paying for prosthetics and are left with little choice other than asking for help, since we aren't sure when Justin will be able to return to work.

 

Our deepest gratitude,

Samantha Wood