Tim Basler (Lift for Life PE teacher) battle against cancer

The Basler family needs our help. Tim and Colleen are one of those couples that are always doing things for others and stepping up to help, all while raising their 3 sweet little girls and both working full-time.

They need the community's help and would prefer not to ask for it. So it’s time for us to show up and support them anyway. After a lot of pushing from friends and family, they finally, somewhat reluctantly, agreed to let us set up a GoFundMe page to help with Tim’s cancer treatment expenses and alternative treatments.

How the story started:

Unfortunately, Tim was diagnosed with Marginal Zone Lymphoma (MSL) last summer 2024. Tim was told in the beginning that there is no cure for this type of cancer. So chemo is solely to “keep the numbers down.” Chemo doesn’t address the pain, doesn’t address the inflammation (it actually makes it way worse), and it doesn’t help the fatigue (it also actually makes it way worse). He completed his chemo and immunotherapy on January 5th. It was a total of 6 months. His numbers look good on paper, but the pain is a symptom of the disease, and doctors said there is nothing they can do for the pain. He has bone pain that fluctuates and changes, severe fatigue, and MAG neuropathy.

in February 2025, Tim’s diagnosis was updated to waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. If anyone reading this, has experience with this type of cancer, the family would love to connect with you and learn as much as they can from anyone with experience with it. The Doctors said they’re very similar and treated about the same but this new diagnosis is an even more rare type of cancer. They also discovered that he had DVTs in both his right and left arms. He was immediately put on blood thinners.

At this time, they are looking at alternative medical treatments outside of just a chemo pill. He can’t have chemo until around May—his body needs a break.

However, he didn’t respond too great to the first round of chemo, and a chemo pill for 5 years sounds terrible for the body. But there’s not much they can really do for this type of cancer. We’ve been to Wash U and to MD Anderson…

Here’s how you can help…

Keep Tim, Colleen, their girls, and the medical team in your prayers.

Sign up to drop off a meal/donate a gift card.

Donate to help offset some of the alternative treatment costs, which aren’t covered by insurance and there aren’t payment plans.

If you have any connections to cancer treatment trials or researchers, send me a message.

❤️ Keep praying for them.

We believe there are good, kind-hearted people in the world willing to help strangers. Tim’s Health Journey on CaringBridge Thank you for considering helping the Baslers in this time of need.

If you’d like to donate a meal or a gift card for groceries/dinner please email [email redacted] , include “Basler Mealtrain link” in Subject line.

if you have any connections or experience with the following treatment centers/Doctors below and would be open to sharing your experience, connections or advice to the family please contact [email redacted] include “Basler Treatment Options” in the subject

Treatment options:

Bing Center for Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia - East Coast

Integrative & Alternative Cancer Treatment at Hope4Cancer™ in Mexico

Burzynski Clinic in Houston

Lexington Natural Health Center

Thank you for your help , prayers and donations!