Help Steve Fight Throat Cancer

All money contributed to this page will benefit my father Steve Jumonville and his loving wife Ria.  

In 2015 my dad had begun to notice a lump in his neck that was causing him discomfort when he swallowed.  He brought the lump to his doctor's attention, however, he was informed that it was of little concern.  In December of 2015 my father was diagnosed with stage IV tongue and throat cancer.  His treatment plan included a number of surgeries to remove large areas of cancerous cells and lymph nodes, as well as weeks of radiation and numerous chemotherapy treatments.  After completing his chemo and radiation treatments the doctors discovered that the cancer had spider-webbed throughout his body, they had no way to perform surgery to remove more cancerous areas and chemo and radiation were now no longer an option.  At the time, they had given my dad 6-12 months to live.  

Shortly after receiving this devastating diagnosis my dad's wonderful oncologist at OHSU was able to get him accepted into an experimental immunotherapy study for tongue and throat cancer patients.  My dad has been receiving biweekly immunotherapy infusions for over the last year, and while he has been experiencing some minor discomfort as a result of the treatment, he now falls into the 1% of study participants that no longer have any trace of cancer.  

While the news of him no longer having cancer has come as a huge relief to him, his wife, and his family, he is still in great pain on a daily basis mainly due to the effects of his chemo and radiation treatment.  He is on multiple medications, has difficulty swallowing, is currently fed through a g-tube, and he recently discovered that his radiation treatment has caused bone deterioration in his mandible (jaw).  He is currently on a strong course of antibiotics and pain meds to treat the infection in his mandible before his doctors perform a surgery to remove the entire right side of his mandible and perform reconstructive surgery  with muscle from his leg.

I started this fundraiser to help assist my dad and Ria with the constant cost of medical bills, medications, numerous hospital stays, medical supplies and to provide for gas for transportation to and from OHSU for his multiple appointments. Ria took an early retirement from her job in the hospitality industry nearly 2 years ago to take full-time care of my dad and to be his caregiver,  and as a result their monthly income is tight.  My dad and Ria were also recently informed that the house they have been renting for the past few years has been sold for commercial use, they have to move in less than 12 months and I would like to make sure that they have the money they need to secure an affordable home that won't break the bank.  

Please consider donating to help this wonderful, sweet, loving couple.  I would like to ease their stress in whatever way I can.  His children may not be able to contribute much from their pockets but my hope is that by sharing this fundraiser we can help alleviate some of their financial stress so my dad and Ria can continue their amazing love story.