Phil Urban’s Cancer Fundraiser

My name is Chloë, and I am doing this fundraiser for my father, Phil, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of aggressive, terminal cancer called High Grade NeuroEndocrine Tumors (NET).

My family and I have been waiting for the right moment to share about the challenging journey we have been on since his diagnosis in August of 2022. We’ve finally decided we are ready to share and ask for support from our community because it’s been getting worse, and bills are piling up.

Simply put, this has been one of the most challenging 8 months of my life, no question.

At the very beginning of August, after agonizing pain landed him in the ER, I got the news that my Dad had received some very alarming scans. Within less than 24 hours, my brother, Dustin, and I landed in Colorado from opposite coasts and were by my dad’s side in a hospital room hearing the doctor say: “I’m going to just be straight with you, it looks like you have metastatic cancer.”

In that moment, it felt like time stood still and it was all I could do to stay present and in my body. The air felt heavy, the shock washed over me like a wave I felt I could drown in, and I tried to pull myself together enough to know what questions needed to be asked at that point. Seeing the look on my father’s face, his posture, and the tears streaming down his cheeks is something I will never forget.

All of our lives changed in that split second.

Once it was clear it was cancer, we still didn’t know what kind or how bad it really was. After 3 excruciating weeks of navigating the medical system, red tape, a small town hospital that didn’t know how to get us what we needed, many many hours of research, phone calls, serious advocacy conversations, multiple scans, a biopsy, thousands of dollars, hotel rooms, multiple 6 hour round trip drives back and forth to Denver, and a lot of shock, tears, fears, and unknowns, we found out that my Dad has an extremely rare form of aggressive, and ultimately terminal, cancer. He would start chemo right away.

Needless to say we were all in shock, having no idea what we were up against, what his prognosis was, if his excruciating pain was ever going to subside, and if the chemo would work well enough to at least give us some time with him before he leaves his breathing body.

It became blatantly clear that I wanted live in Colorado with him, to be by his side while he went through the chemo, to take care of him, cook healthy food, make sure he was hydrated, and spend time together (which we don’t get much of living 2,000 miles away from each other).

So, I went for it! I up-ended my life, (yep, partner, dog, house, work - the whole thing) and moved out to Colorado for a big chunk of time this last fall. It felt like exactly what I wanted and needed to do, and yet, it doesn’t mean that it’s been easy.

This experience has broken me wide open. I have been profoundly humbled, shaken to my core, cried a million tears, and felt such deep love for my father. I have been on an emotional roller coaster that continues to this day.

As of right now, my dad finished 6 cycles of chemo in December, which gave him 6 weeks of feeling much better - we even were able to take a family vacation that he’s been wanting us all to do for years - and since then he’s rapidly started to decline, to the point where he’s in so much pain he is having trouble walking and is very weak.

A month ago, he tried a different kind of chemo which has not worked, so we are looking at some palliative care radiation that will hopefully (fingers crossed) help with the pain, but won’t address all the cancer that is now quickly spreading throughout his body.

We are not sure how much time he has left - it could be weeks, it could be months.

As of right now, my dad and I are in need of money to cover outstanding medical bills, the $10,000+ we’ve spent on lodging and travel to Denver, and the out of pocket costs for medical bills, as well of months of work lost for me - we are also in need of money for an airbnb for the next 2 weeks as he undergoes radiation treatment in Denver. We have been diligent in securing for him the best insurance coverage we can combined with specialized care at a cancer clinic that specializes in the treatment of NeuroEndocrine Tumors. But unfortunately, there are expenses we have been covering by emptying savings.

We would so deeply appreciate any support you are able to give; it will go toward my dad‘s and my expenses. And we also welcome any prayers for my Dad, and for our family, as we continue to find our way through this heartbreaking time. You are welcome to share prayers on this page, I will read each one to him.

With all my love and deep gratitude,

Chloë