Michele and Eric's Tumor Fight Fund

My name is Aimee, and I'm friends with Michele Yoder. Michele and Eric have had a rough few years with Michele being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2023, and Eric being diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in 2024. Eric is still undergoing treatment and Michele recently learned that her tumor is back and she will need to have another brain surgery to remove it.

With Eric already undergoing treatment, and Michele getting ready to have her surgery, neither of them will be able to work for several months. Michele is Eric's caregiver, and with them both recovering, they will have enough to worry about without having to worry about how to pay the bills.

The following is an update from Michele:

"I got an update yesterday and today (January 2025) and here is the updated info…Eric had an MRI last week. The last time he had one, he was sedated and in the hospital. He HATES this machine and actually tried to crawl out the back of it. So, they had to call in an anesthesiologist and put him completely under. This one was a breeze J The Radiologist, who did the read, said he thinks a small portion of the tumor is back. The Radiation Oncologist said he thinks it’s fluid and swelling from the radiation. So, we don’t know. The issue with a Glioblastoma is that it always grows back. He meets with the chemo oncologist and does labs on Friday. He’s on a 28 day chemo cycle. He’s on chemo for 5 days and off for 23. He’s in the middle of his 23 and will start again on the 24th or 25th. He’ll do another MRI in 3 months and they’ll plan from there.

My Radiation Oncologist and Neurosurgeon wanted to treat my tumor with radiation. Since it’s a Level 2 reoccurring, it’s actually a Level 3, High Risk. Because of this, they realized they probably can’t kill it with radiation only. So, they met with the “Brain Tumor Board”, that meets once a month, and they all decided that I need to have a craniotomy again and radiation. The issue is that it is very close to my right optical nerve AND it’s over and attached to an artery. They will try to peel it off the artery but if it doesn’t work, they’ll have to leave some of it there. If it peels off, I will have 30 shots of a “weaker” radiation. That kills it slowly AND is what Eric did. If they have to leave some there, I’ll have the regular radiation and then he’ll have to do some powerful shots that are specialized and around my optical nerve to kill what’s left on my artery. I’ll know by Friday when the surgery is and they think it will be 3-4 weeks. Then I’ll start radiation in 2 weeks after the surgery.

I’m sorry it’s so much, we have had a LOT of info in the last few days.

-Michele"

Please help if you can. Thanks!