Support Matthew's Family During Cancer Treatment

Hello, my name is Elizabeth. In November my brother, Matthew Gabriel went in to urgent care for what he thought was a kidney issue. Multiple tests and a short hospital stay determined he is actually facing the biggest challenge of his life-pancreatic cancer. Matthew is already beating the odds as he is one of the 20% whose cancer was caught early before it spread outside his pancreas. It certainly gives us some hope!

To give you a peak into my brother's kind, giving personality- Matthew's goal was to get out of the hospital in time to host a Thanksgiving meal for our mother and oldest brother. Not once did he let on what he was dealing with because he wanted them to have a nice holiday. It wasn't until the following week that he drove to each sibling's home to break the news to us individually. Kind to a fault! Matthew is the one who provides the extra help and regular company to our mother. He's the family historian - always posting pictures of the generations before us with great stories of who they were and what they did. He's the glue that holds us all together and reminds us of the importance of remaining close despite life's distractions. Matthew was the stay-at-home-dad to his girls and it is evident in his close bond with them. He is Papa.

Have I mentioned he's a wonderful artist? He's been so generous over the years, providing one-of-a- kind masterpieces for his extended family's homes.

How can I possibly give you even a fraction of what my brother means to those around him within the context of this appeal?

Matthew will be starting his first round of chemotherapy tomorrow. It will continue for 6 months. After chemo is completed, he will undergo a very difficult surgery with an expected 6 month recovery time. He's been told it will be a rough road ahead.

Matthew currently works an extremely physical job, handling heavy packages. With a port in place for chemo and repeated periods of recovery from 3 different procedures over the last month, he's been unable to work. The expectation is this will continue to be the case for the next year.

We are hoping to raise at least enough funds to compensate for the loss of his income as the household finances have already suffered greatly. Anything raised will go toward house payments, utilities, food, and uncovered medical bills. A larger, urgent cost is his car in need of repair to get to and from treatments. If there are additional funds remaining, we hope to provide some moments of joy for his family to break up the stress they will experience.

Thank you so much for any contribution you can make. Every penny will be appreciated and put to great use.

If you're unable to contribute financially, you can still make a big difference by sharing Matthew's story with friends and family and through your social media. Please help get the word out so he's able to focus on his family, cure and recovery.