
Paying Tribute To Brian Fancher
Donation protected
"TheStrongestBearInTheJungle."#Baloo
Dear daddy,
the world changes from year to year, our lives from day to day, but the love and memory of you, shall never pass away.
This photo above is of Brian's wedding day. Pictured are his wife Kimberly and their 6 children. (From left to right) Elijah, Tyler, Sequoya, Ciera, Kylie, (the toddler) Olivia.
Brian Fancher passed away in his home at 1:25am Easter Sunday April 12th, 2020 due to aggressive Kidney Cancer. He is no longer suffering and without pain. He is now with his father Larry Fancher who passed away from having heart issues and his brother Jeffrey Fancher who passed away from aggressive esophageal cancer.
Brian's battle started just short of 6 months ago. On Monday October 21, 2019 he went into the hospital with severe stomach pains. The physicians seeing him said he had a mass roughly the size of a football inside his stomach and he was then admitted. On October 22nd, 2019 we received the news that he has Kidney Cancer. Brian began seeing all kinds of specialists (oncology, urology). They were trying to come up with a plan to either do treatment to attempt to shrink the mass or remove the biggest mass they have ever seen. Images also shown nodules on his lungs that needed a biopsy. While this was all so new and happening fast he was fired from his job losing his benefits of life insurance and his secured income. Peoria OSF was affraid to perform what would be considered a major life threatening surgery. Peoria decided to transfer him to Chicago Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he stayed for about a month. He then went through a lot of testing, imaging, and scanning all over again. On Jan. 2nd, 2020 he was put under for his first surgery which was to stop the blood flow and cut off the supply to the kidney in preparation for the major life threatening surgery the following day which then became two operations all in one. On the morning of Jan. 3rd, 2020 Brian suffered from a minor heart attack of which made his surgery even more a risk. Surgery then could not happen on time due to the need of his levels being regular to safely perform surgery giving him his best odds of survival. I remember being in a holding area with my father and the anesthesiologist coming in stating she was not comfortable putting him to sleep and that his levels needed to be first checked. Gladly they came back normal an hour later. Then they took my dad back to put him to sleep for both operations. They performed the biopsy of the lungs first, came out to say he did well and I remember my family felt relief. They called a reception desk shortly after to let us know his second surgery was being started. The second surgery was an attempt to completely remove the mass and the kidney. At this time the mass had double in size. The mass was roughly the size of two footballs and spread significantly in just a little over 2 months. I remember when the doctor came out to talk to my family he had this look on his face of shock. He said he had Urology teams, Oncology teams, and another specialty team brainstorming trying to figure out how they could remove it. This doctor who is known for his work ranked in the top 5 went in with a plan and came out unable to perform it. Nothing could be done. I remember the first words my father said after he woke up and we were able to see him in ICU, "I tried and i'm sorry." My family was so broken and scared of what the future held for him. That day we found out how aggressive the mass was and his cancer being diagnosed to Stage 4. The new and only optional plan was to start target therapy and immunotherapy. After he healed enough from the 72 staples and the areas glued he was able to go home. Before Brian could completely heal and regain strength in order to start both therapy's he was readmitted to Peoria OSF due to having gone septic at home. He then had to undergo another surgery Feb. 10th, 2020 for two bags a colostomy bag for fecal matter and another for infection. After surgery my father was given two options to undergo another attempt to remove the mass of which gave him no chance of coming off the table or to go on hospice. While he was there his blood levels were not normal and he had to be given blood multiple times to help his chances if he would go through with the surgery. They got more imaging while he was there where they found that the kidney where the supply was cut of was in fact still alive and receiving blood supply. In order to do surgery again he would undergo 2 separate surgeries similar to what happened in Chicago. My father decided to go on hospice. It was the hardest decision he had made for our family to accept because we wanted to hold on to hope but didn't realize he had already gone through so much pain and suffering. In these moments it is very hard to move forward knowing what is to come. To pretend like you don't see pain and suffering making the last moments matter. My family connects in one major way and that is through music. We listen to all genres and words mean everything to us. We decided every opportunity we had to spend with him we will play his favorite songs and continue to show him the ones we love and new songs we come across we thought he would like. April 12th, 2020 I received a call around 12:30am that he had passed away and immediately went to his home. We within our last moments with him listened to a few of his favorite songs of which I will list below. I will share a song we sang to him moments before he left his home.
(Left to right) Jeffrey, Larry, and Brian
In the current situation the world is facing today with the COVID-19 pandemic, we struggle to have funds to cover Brian's outstanding medical bills, cremation, and memorial expenses. We would like to be able to give him peace in knowing we are going to take care of him through his remaining finances and in keeping him present.
Here is little way of getting to know him on a personal level. Take a minute, close your eyes and listen, listen with your heart, open your mind to feel free of everything that is heavy, those are ways our Baloo showed us the art of what music can do for you...........
1. John Mayor- Say (His Favorite Song)
2. Lynyrd Skynyrd- Free Bird (We are with you Dad always and forever)
3. Zac Brown Band- My Old Man (You are inside all of us)
4. Kirk Franklin- Something about the name Jesus (You are with him)
5. Casting Crowns- Who am I (The song we sang to him in our last moments with him)
In Memory, It broke our hearts to lose you, but you did not go alone. A part of us went with you, the day God took you home. If tears could build a stairway, and heartaches make a lane, we'd walk our way to heaven, and bring you back again. In life we loved you dearly, in death we love you still, in our hearts you hold a place no one could ever fill.
Thank you to everyone for taking the time to read his story and listen to his music. That gives us peace in knowing he is still here with us through others getting to know him.
My name is Kylie Alvarez and I am one of Brian's 6 children. On behalf of my family we thank you for your support.

the world changes from year to year, our lives from day to day, but the love and memory of you, shall never pass away.
This photo above is of Brian's wedding day. Pictured are his wife Kimberly and their 6 children. (From left to right) Elijah, Tyler, Sequoya, Ciera, Kylie, (the toddler) Olivia.
Brian Fancher passed away in his home at 1:25am Easter Sunday April 12th, 2020 due to aggressive Kidney Cancer. He is no longer suffering and without pain. He is now with his father Larry Fancher who passed away from having heart issues and his brother Jeffrey Fancher who passed away from aggressive esophageal cancer.
Brian's battle started just short of 6 months ago. On Monday October 21, 2019 he went into the hospital with severe stomach pains. The physicians seeing him said he had a mass roughly the size of a football inside his stomach and he was then admitted. On October 22nd, 2019 we received the news that he has Kidney Cancer. Brian began seeing all kinds of specialists (oncology, urology). They were trying to come up with a plan to either do treatment to attempt to shrink the mass or remove the biggest mass they have ever seen. Images also shown nodules on his lungs that needed a biopsy. While this was all so new and happening fast he was fired from his job losing his benefits of life insurance and his secured income. Peoria OSF was affraid to perform what would be considered a major life threatening surgery. Peoria decided to transfer him to Chicago Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he stayed for about a month. He then went through a lot of testing, imaging, and scanning all over again. On Jan. 2nd, 2020 he was put under for his first surgery which was to stop the blood flow and cut off the supply to the kidney in preparation for the major life threatening surgery the following day which then became two operations all in one. On the morning of Jan. 3rd, 2020 Brian suffered from a minor heart attack of which made his surgery even more a risk. Surgery then could not happen on time due to the need of his levels being regular to safely perform surgery giving him his best odds of survival. I remember being in a holding area with my father and the anesthesiologist coming in stating she was not comfortable putting him to sleep and that his levels needed to be first checked. Gladly they came back normal an hour later. Then they took my dad back to put him to sleep for both operations. They performed the biopsy of the lungs first, came out to say he did well and I remember my family felt relief. They called a reception desk shortly after to let us know his second surgery was being started. The second surgery was an attempt to completely remove the mass and the kidney. At this time the mass had double in size. The mass was roughly the size of two footballs and spread significantly in just a little over 2 months. I remember when the doctor came out to talk to my family he had this look on his face of shock. He said he had Urology teams, Oncology teams, and another specialty team brainstorming trying to figure out how they could remove it. This doctor who is known for his work ranked in the top 5 went in with a plan and came out unable to perform it. Nothing could be done. I remember the first words my father said after he woke up and we were able to see him in ICU, "I tried and i'm sorry." My family was so broken and scared of what the future held for him. That day we found out how aggressive the mass was and his cancer being diagnosed to Stage 4. The new and only optional plan was to start target therapy and immunotherapy. After he healed enough from the 72 staples and the areas glued he was able to go home. Before Brian could completely heal and regain strength in order to start both therapy's he was readmitted to Peoria OSF due to having gone septic at home. He then had to undergo another surgery Feb. 10th, 2020 for two bags a colostomy bag for fecal matter and another for infection. After surgery my father was given two options to undergo another attempt to remove the mass of which gave him no chance of coming off the table or to go on hospice. While he was there his blood levels were not normal and he had to be given blood multiple times to help his chances if he would go through with the surgery. They got more imaging while he was there where they found that the kidney where the supply was cut of was in fact still alive and receiving blood supply. In order to do surgery again he would undergo 2 separate surgeries similar to what happened in Chicago. My father decided to go on hospice. It was the hardest decision he had made for our family to accept because we wanted to hold on to hope but didn't realize he had already gone through so much pain and suffering. In these moments it is very hard to move forward knowing what is to come. To pretend like you don't see pain and suffering making the last moments matter. My family connects in one major way and that is through music. We listen to all genres and words mean everything to us. We decided every opportunity we had to spend with him we will play his favorite songs and continue to show him the ones we love and new songs we come across we thought he would like. April 12th, 2020 I received a call around 12:30am that he had passed away and immediately went to his home. We within our last moments with him listened to a few of his favorite songs of which I will list below. I will share a song we sang to him moments before he left his home.

In the current situation the world is facing today with the COVID-19 pandemic, we struggle to have funds to cover Brian's outstanding medical bills, cremation, and memorial expenses. We would like to be able to give him peace in knowing we are going to take care of him through his remaining finances and in keeping him present.
Here is little way of getting to know him on a personal level. Take a minute, close your eyes and listen, listen with your heart, open your mind to feel free of everything that is heavy, those are ways our Baloo showed us the art of what music can do for you...........
1. John Mayor- Say (His Favorite Song)
2. Lynyrd Skynyrd- Free Bird (We are with you Dad always and forever)
3. Zac Brown Band- My Old Man (You are inside all of us)
4. Kirk Franklin- Something about the name Jesus (You are with him)
5. Casting Crowns- Who am I (The song we sang to him in our last moments with him)
In Memory, It broke our hearts to lose you, but you did not go alone. A part of us went with you, the day God took you home. If tears could build a stairway, and heartaches make a lane, we'd walk our way to heaven, and bring you back again. In life we loved you dearly, in death we love you still, in our hearts you hold a place no one could ever fill.
Thank you to everyone for taking the time to read his story and listen to his music. That gives us peace in knowing he is still here with us through others getting to know him.
My name is Kylie Alvarez and I am one of Brian's 6 children. On behalf of my family we thank you for your support.
Organizer
Kylie Alvarez
Organizer
Normal, IL