Meet Derek Evans

Meet Derek Evans

****UPDATE**** Thank you so much for all your prayers, love and support for Derek and his family during this time. His surgeries are over and now he is on the road to recovery. They were able to save his spleen so this with help reduce future infections. Please continue to keep Derek and his family in your prayers as he continues to heal and move forward to the next stages of recovery.

Meet Derek Evans. Derek is 20 years old and graduated from Highland High School (Medina) in 2022. Derek and my son Drew have been best friends since the day they met, more than 15 years ago. Derek is more than a friend he is a brother to both of my boys. Over that period, we have watched Derek grow into a responsible, fun loving, hardworking young man. We have also watched Derek struggle with Pancreatitis. Derek has been hospitalized countless times since he was diagnosed at the age of 4. This past August Derek was in and out of the hospital the entire month with one of the worst pancreatic attacks yet. He also was told that he has the gene that increases his risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Because of how severe his most recent attacks were, coupled with the genetic test results, Derek will undergo a very complicated surgery (Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Auto Transplantation TPIAT) to remove his pancreas, gallbladder and spleen on December 4, 2023. During recovery, Derek will be in the hospital for at least a week and will be faced with missing at least 10 weeks of work and ongoing medical bills. This surgery will give Derek relief from the pancreatic attacks, however it may also come with some other long term health issues and ongoing medical expenses. About 70 percent of patients experience dramatic pain relief after total pancreatectomy (TP) with autologous islet cell transplantation (IAT). Approximately 30 to 40 percent of patients who have IAT will not require insulin injections after the procedure. The other 60 percent of patients may need to take daily insulin and monitor their blood glucose closely. He will also be on the medicine Creon for the rest of his life and this can be very expensive. We are raising funds to help with the financial burden. We appreciate any help. Thank you!