Luke Lewis Cancer Fund, to travel to the USA for treatment.

The primary reason for this fund raising event is Luke Lewis and his father's expenses for part of his treatment that can only be done in the United States. The chemotherapy part of his treatment is available here in Canada and is covered by healthcare, however the type of radiation therapy that is required Proton radiation is not available anywhere in Canada and as such, Luke and his father will have to travel to the United Stated to continue to receive his life saving treatment. Luke and his father will have to spend five week in the United States for the proton radiation treatment.

The proton radiation treatment itself is full covered by our health care system, however he and his father both have to pay for their own way to Florida for the radiation treatment, they have to pay for their food, accommodations, transportation to Florida, transportation to and from the hospital daily, and any additional expenses for the full five weeks that Luke needs to be in Florida for his Life saving treatment.

Please help if you can, and amount, however small will be of a great help.

LUKE'S STORY

Hello my name is Michael and I am helping with some fundraising for Luke Lewis and his father Cliff Lewis. Luke is a very healthy, fun loving, out going, hard working young man. He is currently in grade 12 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic high school in Guelph Ontario, he is a great student who is loved by teaches, classmate and friends. Apart from his academic studies he is a very mechanically inclined young man, who is also an outstanding athlete who works out regularly, plays basketball and his primary passion football.

Luke first experienced a slight tingle in his throat earlier this year, he soon noticed a small lump on the right side of his neck. Not paying much attention to what he considered minor irritant, he continued with his day to day activities, going to school, studying, playing football, working out, hanging with his friends and also holding down a job, working as a landscaper.

A few weeks later, only after the "minor irritant" started impacting his voice and his speech and now his breathing, he went to see his family doctor. His doctor also suggested that although the issue might be nothing, however he recommended some imaging be done.

After going for the imaging his doctor noticed that the small lump on his neck was magnitudes larger inside his throat. His doctor, again without raising any alarm, suggested that he see an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist at McMaster Hospital in Hamilton.

Still at this point no one thought the worst, the C-word was not a thought in anyone's mind.

On his first visit to McMaster to see the ENT specialist it was suggested that Luke undergo a biopsy, just as a routine. Throughout the period of time from the biopsy to the results, Luke continued with his routine of school, athletics, friend and work.

Approximately a week after the biopsy Luke's father received a call from the specialist at McMaster telling him he had to bring Luke in right away, they had received the results from the biopsy. Luke, who was listening to the call on speaker, along with his dad, immediately knew something was wrong, not only wrong, but terribly wrong.

Here I will take a pause to introduce you to Cliff Lewis, Luke's father. At age 72 Cliff is a single father of his youngest child Luke. (Prior to Luke, Cliff raised his four daughters alone after his beloved wife (years) died of cancer. He was left alone to take care of his family and raise his children all by himself. He had Luke later in life and just like his older children, he continues to dedicated himself to raising his youngest child, as he did the others.

Back to Luke's story. As I mentioned above knowing that the doctors insistence that Luke be brought to the hospital immediately Cliff knew something was terribly wrong. He asked what was the results of the biopsy, to which the doctor responded he would address it when they got to the hospital, of course like any worried and concerned parent Cliff would have none of it and insisted that the doctor tell him "immediately"! what the diagnosis was.

As he feared, it was the dreaded c-word, it was Cancer!

At the hospital it was revealed that Luke had Soft Tissue Cancer - Synovial sarcoma.

Although the drive from Guelph to Hamilton to meet the doctors was over an hour, and although they both knew what the diagnosis was prior to the drive to Hamilton, during the drive to Hamilton, and as they made their way into the hospital. Hearing the diagnosis again was still devastating, still like hearing it for the first time. Cliff tells me the drive was a silent one , it was like being in a nightmare , maybe he was dreaming, nothing was said, and soon he would wake up from this dream.

He had been through this with his wife, and now his son, his only son. He had barely begun to recover from the PTSD he suffered from going through this with his wife, and that was close to thirty years ago.

When the doctor told them in person it was like "I was hit in the head, by a sledgehammer" Cliff said.

It has now been three months since this nightmare began, Luke has been through his first round of chemotherapy with two more to go. After the chemotherapy, Luke will have to undergo radiation therapy, then return to Canada for surgery. No person should have to endure this, no one! Much less a child.

This is the primary reason for this fund raising event. The Chemotherapy is available here in Canada and is covered by healthcare, however the type of radiation therapy that is required (type) is not available anywhere in Canada and as such Luke will have to travel to the United Stated to continue to receive his life saving treatment. Luke and his father will have to spend five week in the United States for his radiation treatment.

The treatment itself is full covered by our health care system, however he and his father both have to pay for their own way to Florida for the radiation treatment, they have to pay for their food, accommodations, transportation to Florida, transportation to and from the hospital daily, and any additional expenses for the full five weeks that Luke needs to be in Florida for his Life saving treatment.

Please help if you can, and amount however small will be of a great help.

Thank you in advance for your help, support and prayers for Luke Lewis and his family.

Michael Campbell