Help Us Help Derek - brain cancer is not cool
Last August my older brother, Derek, had a seizure in the middle of the night. Little did he or anyone know that after that night, his life was about to drastically change. Derek was diagnosed with Oligodendroglioma brain cancer, stage 2. Unfortunately, this is a recurring tumor and there is no cure. Derek had surgery (while being awake) on August 13, 2020 in Iowa city, luckily, he was able to go home within a few short days. He has completed 30 rounds of radiation, had to take a month off, and then began to start an aggressive chemotherapy treatment called PCV. This includes 3 different types of chemo all at once, each cycle being 6 weeks long. This specific type of chemo causes extreme fatigue as well as an array of other symptoms.
As if Derek’s life wasn’t stressful enough, 2 weeks after having brain surgery his wife left. Derek, at this point, was now not only battling brain cancer, but his soon to be ex-wife as well. My parents are now the only people who can provide both assistance and a reliable income for him. Due to legal proceedings of the divorce, we were not able to do any type of fundraising for him, until now (he is finally a single man!)
Derek does not have long term disability at work, his last paycheck was on November 7, 2020 when his short term disability ended. He has had zero income since then. My parents have been helping him by paying all of his bills including: mortgage, utilities, insurance, groceries, and some medical expenses. Although both of my parents are more than willing to drop whatever penny they have for their children, it does all add up so quickly and it’s becoming concerning.
Derek is the strongest guy I know, I cannot imagine having to personally deal with all of these hardships at one time, as well as remain optimistic about the future. And not only is he strong, but both of my parents as well. This is something that has completely changed the dynamic of our family and although it is a devastating thing to deal with, we all have learned so much about ourselves and how precious the moments we spend with each other are.
If you would like to donate, any little thing would be incredibly beneficial for Derek. If you are unable to donate, please keep Derek in your thoughts, send good vibes, pray, do whatever you have to do to help him see that he is loved and backed by many.
Thank you so much for reading this. This past year has been one of the weirdest and scariest years, but there is no doubt in my mind that it is only preparing us for a very bright future.
-The Mason Family