Kyle Van Doren
On December 4th, 2016 Kyle was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer after several attempts over a couple of months to treat and discover the cause for his symptoms. Due to the symptoms he had been dealing with, he was experiencing severe malnutrition. However, due to the obstruction caused by the tumor in his colon he had “emergency” surgery on December 5, 2016. He then spent nearly a month in the hospital in order to recover from surgery and treat his malnutrition. Although he has health insurance now, it had lapsed during the last part of the year and consequently his surgery and hospital stay were not covered by insurance.
The biopsy of the tumor removed from his Colon revealed that his cancer is a rare and very aggressive form which accounts for only 15% of colon cancer. It was also discovered that the cancer had spread to his liver.
He is being treated with the strongest chemotherapy group of drugs that they have available. He has been through 6 courses of chemo which involves infusion at the cancer center as well as having a pump attached and infusing additional chemo at home for 48 hours each time. As of this past week the scan is showing signs of shrinkage in the cancer in his liver and no signs of “active cancer.” They have him scheduled to continue the same treatment for at least 6 more courses. He will then be put on “maintenance” for an undetermined length of time.
He has health insurance now which covers most of his $38,000 per treatment but he still has close to $800 copay each time.
Kyle is the kind of friend that everyone wants. Unselfish, compassionate and strongly committed to his friends and family.
Though still young, he has been in management for a National Corporation, has sold homes for a national homebuilder and now works for and with a friend who owns a retail company.
Parents; David and Dana Van Doren
Born; 12 August, 1985 in Dallas Texas.
Currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
A graduate of Del Norte High School in Albuquerque, NM.
Kyle is the younger of 2 sons. (Brother, Brad) He is single, and lives on his own, in a home he purchased in 2013.