Ron Holder’s Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

Hi everyone,

My name is John Jason Holder, and I’m one of Ron Holder’s sons. This month, after suffering with abdominal pain for a brief period, my dad was diagnosed with Stage 2 pancreatic cancer. He has an approximately 2-centimeter tumor in his pancreas, which thankfully seems to be the only cancerous spot at the moment.

After meeting with his oncologist and surgeon at The Vince Lombardi Cancer Center of Aurora Healthcare in Sheboygan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, they’ve determined that a six-month regiment of bi-weekly chemotherapy treatments, followed by the Whipple surgical procedure to remove the tumor, will be the best course of action.

Thankfully, my parents do have health insurance, which will cover a majority of the medical expenses. However, they will still be responsible for 20-30% of the costs, and pancreatic cancer treatment can cost up to $200,000 in the United States.

Both of my parents are recently retired, and they live on a fixed budget, with Social Security and a small pension being their only sources of income. Never once has the cost of this this treatment been something that they’ve openly discussed with me and my brother, as they know it’s just what you do for someone you love. However, I know that the out-of-pocket expenses associated with this could bankrupt them.

This is going to be a long year for my parents, between chemo treatments and surgical recovery time, so if we can help to alleviate the additional stress that medical bills would bring, I would be incredibly relieved.

Thank you, sincerely, from me and my family, for any assistance you can give. We really, really appreciate it.