Help Mike 'Gunner' Herzog Recover from Bone Cancer

Hi all,

Here with a little news about my caring brother – the fun dad and loving husband – Mike "Gunner" Herzog.

A few months after Gunner started his training for a 5k this fall, he noticed his left quad was more than just sore from pounding the pavement. By Christmas, he thought he had tendonitis. X-rays and MRIs left more questions and by February, his pain had gotten considerably worse. A CT scan confirmed something no one saw coming: Osteosarcoma in his distal femur. A rare bone cancer usually found in adolescents. A subsequent chest scan showed nothing of concern, so it is localized, thankfully.

Days later, however, while simply moving in bed, his compromised femur snapped. He went through emergency surgery and will rock an external fixator as he goes through chemo, ahead of a full knee replacement this summer. That break makes his recovery a little more complicated for him and the family.

Gunner has already started his first round of chemo and he’s expected to do 10 weeks before surgery. Additional weeks of chemo will follow, post-surgery.

We're hoping to raise a little money to help with costs not covered by insurance. Home health needs, medvans to take him to treatment, mobility and accessibility needs, etc. And maybe a few cake pops for the Squishes.

Any unused funds will be donated to Kathy's House , a hospital guest house committed to providing a “home away from home” environment for families who need to travel to Froedtert/Children's for medical care. Gunner has realized how fortunate he is to have a huge family that is so willing and able to be there for him in this strange time and wants to ensure others have that option too.

Thank you for your amazing love and support.

Love, the Michael J. Herzog family.