Patsy Ferrell’s Pancreatic Cancer Battle

My name is Dean Ferrell, I am the son of Dubb and Patsy Ferrell. Many of you may know my dad by “Dangerous Dubb #121” from his speedway racing days. My parents have been true life partners and the true definition of high school sweethearts, they have been together since my mom was 13 and my dad was 15. My mom has always been a wonderful wife to my dad and an amazing mother. Unfortunately, in late February my mom Patsy was taken to the ER because she wasn’t feeling well. While she was in the ER the Dr told my mom and I that she had “DKA” Diabetic Ketoacidosis which was making her very ill, the Dr also stated after reviewing some scans they did while she was in the ER they found a mass on her Pancreas and they needed to do a biopsy to rule out cancer. Hearing the term mass is always concerning however we were staying positive. After her biopsy procedure we waited a few days for the results. The Dr came in and told my mom it was cancer in her Pancreas, and she has a blockage in her biliary duct, and this was causing her to go into “DKA”. They installed a metal stent to keep the duct open. In speaking with the Dr, he stated he thought they caught it early and my mom was going to do a “Whipple Surgery” to remove the head of the pancreas where the mass was located. Unfortunately, when they went in they were unable to perform the surgery because it is Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer that has spread to her liver. They were only going to be able to perform the surgery if it had not spread. We went to see the oncologist and we were aiming for chemo treatments; mom even got her port because her veins are small, and this would have made the chemo easier on her. Not long after getting the port put in, she went into DKA again and ended up in the ER and stayed in the hospital for 4 days. With this type of cancer, it really messes with the insulin levels, sometimes her sugar spikes to over 400. This has really made her weak. After our last visit with the oncologist, he told us that chemo really wasn’t going to help my mom and he referred us to hospice. This horrible cancer is extremely aggressive and has taken its toll on my mom. As of yesterday 5/3/23, she unfortunately had a stroke at home after a stomach procedure that was a nerve blocker to help her with stomach discomfort caused from the cancer. She is back in the hospital in Critical Care, she lost some vision in her left eye and left arm and leg. They were able to remove the blood clot from her brain. We are keeping her as comfortable as possible. We are truly heartbroken. This is devastating for my entire family and all my parent’s close friends. My dad is not able to work because he is providing my mom with 24-hour care at home and spending all the time he can with her. This was very unexpected and unfortunately my parents had no end-of-life arrangements or any type of life insurance policy to assist in fulfilling my mom’s end-of-life wishes or to assist with finances as my dad is unable to work anymore. This is not easy for us and extremely unexpected. I don’t want my dad stressing; I want him to be able to enjoy his last moments with my mom and for us to have the ability to bond with her in her last days. And focus on her care. I started this Go Fund me page for my parents to help alleviate any additional stresses for them and to help fulfil my mom’s wishes. If you can contribute any amount to assist my parents my family and myself will be forever so grateful for the love, generosity and support during this devastating time. My parents along with myself appreciate all the continued prayers and support. Thank you in advance for your contribution.