Jonathan Heller's Medical Fund
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Jonathan Heller is my brother-in-law. He married my sister Cheryl 13 years ago, and together they had Gracie, the most amazing 10 year old niece a proud (and un-bias) aunt could ask for. The 3 of them are very close and have always spent a lot of time together. Over the last year and a half this family has been tested over and over again, but it just brings them closer together and makes them a stronger family. Their love for each other is obvious, and I for one look forward to a time when can they can all look back on this time in their lives and laugh at the enormous and difficult challenges they faced and overcame.
Jonathan was diagnosed with Colon Cancer in June 2015, at the young age of 43. He had his first of what was to become many surgeries in July of that year and received chemotherapy for 6 months at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven. Jonathan is a faculty member and girls’ volleyball coach at Career High School in New Haven and encouraged the community to spread awareness by getting involved in a benefit Students vs. Staff volleyball game to support the American Cancer Society’s Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. He continued to teach and coach during his treatments, which was educational and inspirational to the students and community. We were all excited for his final treatment on January 21st.. Of course, no one was more excited than Jonathan. It was time to put the cancer behind him, finally feel better and start to put his life back together again. He was looking forward to his next surgery in March, which would reverse his colostomy. Cheryl and Jonathan even talked to the surgeon about scheduling a vacation over the summer, since their vacation plans with Jonathan’s family in 2015 were cancelled due to his cancer diagnosis. The doctor thought it would be plenty of time for him to recover from his surgery scheduled in March, so they scheduled a trip to Disney World in July.
Cheryl wanted to have a fundraiser for colon cancer and Jonathan agreed as long as all of the proceeds went to colon cancer research at Smilow, and not directly to him. Cheryl, with the help of family and friends, held the benefit on March 6 when Jonathan would feel stronger after chemo, and in honor of colon cancer awareness month. It was a great night and raised $5,000 for colon cancer research, but unfortunately Jonathan wasn’t feeling 100% that night. Little did we know that it was a sign of things to come.
The surgery to reverse his colostomy did not go as planned. The surgeon could not perform the procedure because there were still many tiny cancer cells inside him. They were unable to be detected through blood work or CT Scans, only during surgery. This was clearly a shocking disappointment for Jonathan, Cheryl and Gracie and all of their family and friends who thought the worst was behind them.
Cheryl, who upon his diagnosis in 2015 became an instant medical researcher, caregiver, and pillar of strength for her husband and daughter has maintained optimism and strength like I’ve never seen before. This new diagnosis made her even more determined to seek second opinions and find treatments that would help.
Jonathan began making all too frequent trips to the emergency room with extreme pain in his abdomen, and extended stays in the hospital. He started his second round of chemo treatment, as the consultations with other cancer hospitals continued in the hopes of finding a clinical drug trial. The 3 of them went on their trip to Disney, which gave them all some much needed and deserved family time. Unfortunately, their fun was cut short when Jonathan was in the ER with tremendous pain that he could no longer stand. He was admitted to the hospital in Florida, where he stayed for a few days until he checked himself out to return to Connecticut. Cheryl drove from the airport to the hospital at Yale, where Jonathan spent another 2 weeks. The cancer continues to grow, and has caused an obstruction which doesn’t allow anything to pass, resulting in extreme abdominal pain, He now has a port for his liquid food, another for drainage and yet another for pain medication. He wanted to make sure he was home in time for Gracie’s 10th birthday, and he was!
Recently he was hospitalized for slipped discs in his back that have caused him a lot of pain. He just restarted chemo again in September, and once again has continued to teach and coach. Although it has been more physically challenging this time, his co-workers have been so supportive and the girls on his team have rallied around their coach, which gives him energy to get up and work every day. Of course his favorite roles are husband and father, and he puts all his effort into feeling strong enough to spend more time with Gracie. He has been waiting for news of acceptance into a clinical trial, and he finally received the call on October 14th! They will be traveling to Nashville on November 1st for blood work, etc. and then Jonathan will start receiving immunotherapy treatment on November 16th. He will need to travel to Nashville every 2 weeks for treatment.
I know Jonathan is already so grateful for the support from his family and friends, but I’m hoping you will help me continue to support this wonderful man and his family with expenses for airfare, hotel, medical expenses and potentially loss of wages. I know he is a proud man who would never ask for help, but I also think this is when he needs it the most. Thank you so much in advance!
With deepest gratitude,
Deb Redshaw
Jonathan was diagnosed with Colon Cancer in June 2015, at the young age of 43. He had his first of what was to become many surgeries in July of that year and received chemotherapy for 6 months at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven. Jonathan is a faculty member and girls’ volleyball coach at Career High School in New Haven and encouraged the community to spread awareness by getting involved in a benefit Students vs. Staff volleyball game to support the American Cancer Society’s Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. He continued to teach and coach during his treatments, which was educational and inspirational to the students and community. We were all excited for his final treatment on January 21st.. Of course, no one was more excited than Jonathan. It was time to put the cancer behind him, finally feel better and start to put his life back together again. He was looking forward to his next surgery in March, which would reverse his colostomy. Cheryl and Jonathan even talked to the surgeon about scheduling a vacation over the summer, since their vacation plans with Jonathan’s family in 2015 were cancelled due to his cancer diagnosis. The doctor thought it would be plenty of time for him to recover from his surgery scheduled in March, so they scheduled a trip to Disney World in July.
Cheryl wanted to have a fundraiser for colon cancer and Jonathan agreed as long as all of the proceeds went to colon cancer research at Smilow, and not directly to him. Cheryl, with the help of family and friends, held the benefit on March 6 when Jonathan would feel stronger after chemo, and in honor of colon cancer awareness month. It was a great night and raised $5,000 for colon cancer research, but unfortunately Jonathan wasn’t feeling 100% that night. Little did we know that it was a sign of things to come.
The surgery to reverse his colostomy did not go as planned. The surgeon could not perform the procedure because there were still many tiny cancer cells inside him. They were unable to be detected through blood work or CT Scans, only during surgery. This was clearly a shocking disappointment for Jonathan, Cheryl and Gracie and all of their family and friends who thought the worst was behind them.
Cheryl, who upon his diagnosis in 2015 became an instant medical researcher, caregiver, and pillar of strength for her husband and daughter has maintained optimism and strength like I’ve never seen before. This new diagnosis made her even more determined to seek second opinions and find treatments that would help.
Jonathan began making all too frequent trips to the emergency room with extreme pain in his abdomen, and extended stays in the hospital. He started his second round of chemo treatment, as the consultations with other cancer hospitals continued in the hopes of finding a clinical drug trial. The 3 of them went on their trip to Disney, which gave them all some much needed and deserved family time. Unfortunately, their fun was cut short when Jonathan was in the ER with tremendous pain that he could no longer stand. He was admitted to the hospital in Florida, where he stayed for a few days until he checked himself out to return to Connecticut. Cheryl drove from the airport to the hospital at Yale, where Jonathan spent another 2 weeks. The cancer continues to grow, and has caused an obstruction which doesn’t allow anything to pass, resulting in extreme abdominal pain, He now has a port for his liquid food, another for drainage and yet another for pain medication. He wanted to make sure he was home in time for Gracie’s 10th birthday, and he was!
Recently he was hospitalized for slipped discs in his back that have caused him a lot of pain. He just restarted chemo again in September, and once again has continued to teach and coach. Although it has been more physically challenging this time, his co-workers have been so supportive and the girls on his team have rallied around their coach, which gives him energy to get up and work every day. Of course his favorite roles are husband and father, and he puts all his effort into feeling strong enough to spend more time with Gracie. He has been waiting for news of acceptance into a clinical trial, and he finally received the call on October 14th! They will be traveling to Nashville on November 1st for blood work, etc. and then Jonathan will start receiving immunotherapy treatment on November 16th. He will need to travel to Nashville every 2 weeks for treatment.
I know Jonathan is already so grateful for the support from his family and friends, but I’m hoping you will help me continue to support this wonderful man and his family with expenses for airfare, hotel, medical expenses and potentially loss of wages. I know he is a proud man who would never ask for help, but I also think this is when he needs it the most. Thank you so much in advance!
With deepest gratitude,
Deb Redshaw
Organiser and beneficiary
Debbie Brook Redshaw
Organiser
Coventry, CT
Cheryl Heller
Beneficiary