Five years ago, my son, Ian, endured his first go-round with Squamous Cell Carcinoma; he is now battling the second occurrence of cancer in his tongue.

2017

2022

Five years ago Ian underwent an 18-hour surgery that involved extensive reconstruction of his tongue and 10 days of intensive care followed by months of recovery, including chemo and radiation treatments. Eventually, he began feeling better and returned to a "new normal" life that involved some difficulty chewing and swallowing plus a bit of slurred speech but otherwise good health and back to work and play and composing music.

In the summer of 2021, Ian moved to Florida and after a couple months settling in was back working and enjoying a new lifestyle. Then this past Spring he began having trouble swallowing and followed by new pain in his throat, which prompted him to connect with a new Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor in Florida. Then in July while at Shands Hospital in Gainsville, FL waiting for a CT scan, he began bleeding profusely from the mouth. He was rushed into an emergency room, where a team of medics struggled to stop the bleeding. He spent the next several days highly sedated while that incident was treated, and tests were conducted that determined there was a new tumor in the area of his epiglottis.

Initially, the doctors thought they would need to remove the tumor surgically, however within a few days, they decided that Immunotherapy would be more appropriate in Ian's case. This was very good news but it took several more weeks of clinical work to determine the exact treatment. Thankfully, Ian has received his first infusion of a series that takes place every three weeks for the next several months.

At this point, Ian is at home in Florida while the immunotherapy and his body work to remove the tumor. Ian is experiencing much discomfort and pain as he is restricted to liquid food through a tube in his stomach and has a tracheostomy tube in his throat. While there is optimism that this treatment will work, it will not be quick and progress may not be discernable for a couple of months.

Fortunately, health insurance from Ian's Florida job finally kicked in prior to the beginning of this ordeal. While that insurance covers most medical expenses, there is still upwards of $5000 in deductibles in addition to what will be several thousand more in miscellaneous expenses before Ian returns to work.

Your contributions will help cover Ian's expenses. Thank You.