Family & Friends: My 49-year-old brother Stephen, my only sibling and the father of 4 young girls, was diagnosed six months ago with a rare cancerous tumor in the spine. After surgery, several rounds of treatments, battling infections and now facing the inability to walk, Stephen and his family have many unexpected expenses. So we are urgently coming to you to help us raise funds to purchase a much-needed wheelchair-accessible van for Stephen and his family, additional medical equipment and expenses not covered by insurance.

We would like to see the van needs to be met before winter hits the area. Getting Stephen in and out of their existing van has not been easy. So we would love to give them peace of mind so that Stephen can safely get to the “littles”; Alaina & Claire, school & sports events, Kylee's College & Saxten's High School Senior Moments, the many doctor's appointments and church.

We are asking for $70,000 so that a van can be purchased with a hydraulic lift, a wheelchair ramp and hand control ability when Stephen is back to being able to drive, as well as additional medical equipment and expenses not covered by insurance.

You have been a part of the Ley Family story in some way! And we are so grateful! Won't you consider becoming a part of this season’s journey? Any amount will help in meeting their needs!

More About Stephen's Journey:

In February 2022, Stephen was in the bathroom working on the ceiling fan and fell into the tub/shower, injuring his back. He had a history of back issues, so it was not shocking or a new experience when it became excruciating. As the pain continued, he began experiencing other debilitating symptoms. Lengthy testing discovered a mass in his lumbar area.

After the tumor board reviewed his case, the decision was made to have him admitted that day to conduct the additional tests needed for surgery. Surgery occurred on Monday, April 25, 2022. It was discovered that his spine had a cancerous astrocytoma tumor, which they could extract only 25%. They could not remove any more of the tumor due to infiltration and the endangerment of more permanent nerve damage.

Stephen’s medical team recommended proceeding with over 30 sessions of radiation and oral chemotherapy. During the summer, he was traveling for treatments Monday - Friday, which became very wearing on him and others supporting these efforts.

Stephen finished his radiation treatments on 7/7/22, which was a long haul! During this course, he lost almost all use of his legs, became non-weight bearing, and was exhausted. He experienced a UTI and had to be hospitalized for an overnight stay, requiring a follow-up visit with one of his doctors. He ordered an MRI on 7/1/22, which showed that the tumor appeared to have grown.

This was a difficult message to receive. Stephen's doctor recommended another form of chemo (in addition to the oral chemo he is currently taking), which he felt had potential and was “scientifically hopeful.”

This treatment was a chemo infusion once every three weeks for a total of 4 rounds beginning on 8/3/22. Soon after his first round of infusion they then ordered an MRI. We anxiously awaited the results. Thankfully, we heard “the tumor had shrunk in size”!! It had been a while since we experienced happy tears, so this time we welcomed them!!

How was this possible? We do not know, and there were questions we posed to the doctor to which he did not have the answers. So we are just celebrating this victory and thankful God showed up in a mighty way!

Going forward…we still have quite the journey ahead. Side effects of the chemo are taxing on Stephen, and they seem to be slowly showing a few more as we progress. He has regained some slight movement in his right leg, so we are hopeful that physical therapy will help Stephen's mobility.

After a second stay in the hospital due to another UTI, the medical team decided to begin weaning down from steroids which have been a challenge. Several bed ulcers (bed wounds/sores) have started to develop and have grown to be enough of a concern to halt chemotherapy for the time being.

Stephen and Wendy have been attempting to obtain more services within the home to reduce the number of visits out of the house to damage the bed ulcers further. This time is a “hurry up and wait,” which can be challenging when Stephen is extremely limited in being able to leave a specialized hospital bed as well as the house. Another challenge through this process has been managing pain/pressure caused by the tumor and learning that there are some good days and some harrowing days. So Stephen is hopeful of completing the next three treatments soon but is currently waiting to heal several medical concerns before moving forward.

Stephen returned to working from home about 20-25%, which has helped him attempt to seek some more normalcy. But, with Wendy working in a school system, she has had to return to work. So this part of the journey has been challenging.

These changes lead the Ley’s imperative need for a handicapped-accessible van and several home improvements. Improvements such as; widening doors, creating a 2nd wheelchair exit, adaptations for the ability to work in the kitchen, and re-model their back porch so that a deck with a ramp can be added so that Stephen can get to the back section of the home to watch the girls play in the yard. This all brings them to new uncharted waters and is very costly. They are also considering the costs of having someone come into the home a few times a week to help with care as they continue to work out prioritizing needs.

Please continue to pray for our entire family and everyone closely involved. We could not have made it this far without the army of prayers, support, texts, phone calls, visits, meals, and helping with yard and home projects.

Thank you for loving our family and being part of Stephen’s journey!