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Hello my name is Dave Cross. I am a Retired Law Enforcement Officer of 20 years, a 12 year Veteran of the USAF and now a 5 time Cancer survivor of 10 years battling a relentless blood cancer called Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
I started this GoFundme charity drive to not only offset some of the costs associated with my latest Cancer Battle, but to also bring awareness to Clinical trials, such as the one I'm participating in, which are saving lives.
The GoFundme financial goal is set at $12,000 which will help pay down the personal loan I took to cover the costs of this trip to Houston. I am required to stay in the Houston area for at least 4 weeks per the clinical trial’s guidelines. Any donations I would receive would go towards paying down that loan. The hotel costs alone are near $6,000. Donations would also assist with food and fuel and vehicle maintenance. I am not asking for any help with my medical bills.
My Cancer battle began in 2014 and over the years I’ve had to undergo multiple surgeries and grueling Cancer treatments, 5 to be exact. At one time I was even Paralyzed from the waist down. For the majority of these years my disease was controlled with less toxic but effective immunotherapy treatments. I was even in a radiographic remission for a short 6 month period. But in February of 2024 these treatments quit working. The decision was made that I again need to go back to Houston Tx in June for another clinical trial of Chemo and CAR-T. “CAR-T” are engineered T cells, which are instrumental in the body’s immune response and ordinarily kill cells infected by pathogens to prevent their spread. These engineered T cells express a new protein called a chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR. The CAR in the T cells acts like Velcro and binds together the T cells with the CD30 in the tumor cells. Once the two cells are bound together, the CAR-T cells become activated and attack and kill the cancer.
There are no guarantees this Procedure will work, but all we can do is try and fight for time. I’ve gotten good at kicking the can down the road, maybe this time, God willing. I was able to kick it a little further.
Let me close with this. It's been a long road. It's not just a physical battle but a mental one. I have learned that fighting cancer requires having distractions. Finding a hobby. Don't let the disease define who you are. Thanks to all who have supported and prayed for me over the years.
If you would like to read about my story in much more detail, please click on my Medical Journal using the link below. Also when you land on the Journal Page, click on the Sort option to change it to oldest first so its in proper chronological order.
Your Friend and forever grateful Dave Cross.
