Patrick Gordon Cancer Support Fund!
Donation protected
Cancer sucks. As his little brother, I obviously know Pat well, and the absolute last thing he would want is for this call for help to be a Debbie downer on anyone's day! He already experiences a feeling of guilt when breaking the news of his illness to friends and family, even though he knows it’s not his fault he’s in this situation. For that reason, the following will feel like more of a summary of facts than a detailed account of everything he and his family and friends are going through!
On March 10th, doctors confirmed to Pat that he has colorectal cancer. They told him he could have a 60-80% chance of survival depending on the stage. As anyone who has had a close relative or friend go through this process knows, he has undergone a multitude of blood tests and scans the past month, and thankfully the doctors and radiologists think the cancer may be localized. However, there are a few questionable spots on his lungs that require additional scanning to determine the stage of his cancer. The current treatment plan is six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, then four more months of solely chemotherapy followed by an extensive surgery to remove any remaining tissue with cancer cells. He will be driving to the Cleveland Clinic five days a week for the six weeks of radiation and will take a pill for the chemo portion.
Right now Pat is doing the old back and forth routine with his health insurance company regarding coverage, which has been one of the more frustrating parts of this process. We have tried to estimate the total cost of the treatment but it is nearly impossible at this point to figure out what insurance will or won't cover. Several large bills have already begun to show up that insurance did not cover for the numerous tests so far, and he hasn’t even entered the treatment or follow up test phases yet. The bottom line is this will be a significant expense for Pat and his family. Plus, Pat’s wife, Candace, lost her job in February due to a reduction in staff, compounding their financial stress. At 39 years old with two young boys (Elliot 10 and Liam 11) this will be a huge financial hurdle they have to overcome together as a family.
Pat has always had a love for animals and kids. He and I raised thousands for St Jude’s children’s cancer hospital through donations raised when we ran multiple Warrior Dash races through the years. It seems ironic now that I’m here asking for support for my brother for the very same disease. We were just discussing gearing up for the warmer weather to get out and start exercising when he got the news that he was sick. Pat is not one to complain or ask for anything, but he’s realizing he’s going to need all the support he can get in order to win this battle and continue to be there for his family. We sincerely appreciate anyone who has the ability to help with the financial part of this journey.
We will be providing updates as they become available. Thanks so much again to all who can help!
On March 10th, doctors confirmed to Pat that he has colorectal cancer. They told him he could have a 60-80% chance of survival depending on the stage. As anyone who has had a close relative or friend go through this process knows, he has undergone a multitude of blood tests and scans the past month, and thankfully the doctors and radiologists think the cancer may be localized. However, there are a few questionable spots on his lungs that require additional scanning to determine the stage of his cancer. The current treatment plan is six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, then four more months of solely chemotherapy followed by an extensive surgery to remove any remaining tissue with cancer cells. He will be driving to the Cleveland Clinic five days a week for the six weeks of radiation and will take a pill for the chemo portion.
Right now Pat is doing the old back and forth routine with his health insurance company regarding coverage, which has been one of the more frustrating parts of this process. We have tried to estimate the total cost of the treatment but it is nearly impossible at this point to figure out what insurance will or won't cover. Several large bills have already begun to show up that insurance did not cover for the numerous tests so far, and he hasn’t even entered the treatment or follow up test phases yet. The bottom line is this will be a significant expense for Pat and his family. Plus, Pat’s wife, Candace, lost her job in February due to a reduction in staff, compounding their financial stress. At 39 years old with two young boys (Elliot 10 and Liam 11) this will be a huge financial hurdle they have to overcome together as a family.
Pat has always had a love for animals and kids. He and I raised thousands for St Jude’s children’s cancer hospital through donations raised when we ran multiple Warrior Dash races through the years. It seems ironic now that I’m here asking for support for my brother for the very same disease. We were just discussing gearing up for the warmer weather to get out and start exercising when he got the news that he was sick. Pat is not one to complain or ask for anything, but he’s realizing he’s going to need all the support he can get in order to win this battle and continue to be there for his family. We sincerely appreciate anyone who has the ability to help with the financial part of this journey.
We will be providing updates as they become available. Thanks so much again to all who can help!
Organizer and beneficiary
Winston Gordon
Organizer
Nashville, TN
Patrick Gordon
Beneficiary