This fundraiser is for my 16-year-old nephew, Vincent (Vinnie) Gincauskas, who last year was diagnosed with Stage IV, DSRCT, otherwise known as Desmoplastic small round cell cancer. DSRCT is very rare and is a soft tissue sarcoma that is very aggressive and fatal for most patients who are diagnosed. Currently, DSRCT has a 15 percent five-year survival rate. However, researchers are looking for treatments that will improve those odds. Since Vinnie received his diagnosis in March of 2022, he has gone through many rounds of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and several major surgeries. He has been hospitalized countless times. Only since January of 2023, Vinnie has been in and out of the hospital with nausea, vomiting, bloating, and has lost over 20lbs. He had a partial bowel obstruction that required additional surgery. Shortly after, he ended up in the ICU because he went into hypovolemic shock and his wound had become infected. He then was required to have another surgery to remove an abscess along his incision line and 2 large pockets of fluid in his abdomen.

Vinnie’s tumors have not grown back since his surgery. However, since the rate of reoccurrence is so high, he is to continue chemotherapy for now. The aftermath of his many treatments and surgeries, have majorly altered his body and his life. Vinnie is currently hardly able to eat or drink. He receives his daily nutrition intravenously through a method called Total parenteral nutrition (TPN). TPN is a special formula that bypasses the stomach and provides most of the nutrients the body needs. The method is used when someone can't or shouldn't receive feedings or fluids by mouth. He has a g-tube to decompress the stomach to help reduce the chronic vomiting and nausea he experiences daily. Vinnie also has gastroparesis, which means that his food doesn’t move through his bowel to be digested or absorbed, often causing him to fatigue easily. His doctors say that his quality of life may never be the same. Due to Vinnie’s many acute medical needs, hospitalizations, treatments, and surgeries, both his parents have had to take extensive unpaid time off from their jobs to care for their son. This has caused the family financial strain. However, Vinnie and his family hold on to hope and take each day as it comes.

Vinnie is a very tenacious young man. He has no problem advocating for himself and others, as social justice is one of his passions. Vinnie is truly an old soul, who in the day of technology and social media, loves to write and receive handwritten letters to his family and friends. He is an avid reader and has a vast number of books on his shelves. He enjoys art, music, and theater. He is very proud of his growing record collection. He enjoys putting together massive Lego sets. He plays several musical instruments. He loves animals and nature. He is incredibly smart, witty, and has a great sense of humor. I think one of his greatest attributes of all is his compassion and empathy for other people. While he lies in a hospital bed, connected to various tubes and machines, feeling miserable, he still manages to wish his little cousin birthday wishes on her 8th birthday. He still manages to send text messages of support and congratulations to his other cousin away at college when she scores a goal at one of her Lacrosse games. Vinnie has always had an altruistic spirit, as he is always thinking of how he can help others or make their day brighter. I am asking anyone who reads this to do the same for him. The money you donate will help this family by alleviating medical debt, pay for travel expenses to receive treatments, costly alternative treatments/medicine not covered by insurance, and to help remove the immediate financial relief to Vinnie, his parents, and his 2 little brothers. Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity.