Stage 4 Cancer Dad & Family Needs Your Help!

Hi, my name is William. I am 36 years old. I am married to my middle school sweetheart, Kathleen. We have been married for 17 years this October and together for over 21 years. We fought through several fertility treatments, including six miscarriages, to finally have our MIRACLE daughter, Kiera. She just celebrated her second birthday on April 2nd and is the apple of my eye. We tried for over 15 long years to have a child, so we are not new to medical miracle fights, however, this one is a bit different that we are facing right now. Life was finally moving up with our miracle family. We paid off all our bills and fertility treatments. We sold our home of 16 years in Front Royal, VA and moved back near family in Woodbridge, VA to start anew and live life!

I started experiencing headaches and this numbing/tingling feeling that would start in the left side of my head and would run all the way down my left side to my toes, that would last a few seconds to sometimes minutes. I kept calling them "episodes" and would try to ignore them and chalk them up to stress, being overweight, not drinking enough water and so on. My episodes were happening for about three months and up in the teens to low twenties of occurrences each day. I finally had one that dropped me to my knees and gave me this strange metallic taste and wiped my energy out. It was at this point that I decided to heed my wife's advice and visit the doctor. I called 40, YES 40, different neurologists' offices before I was finally able to get an appointment within two weeks of my call. This is when I learned that they were seizures. I finally had an MRI Friday night in early February, where they discovered I had a large tumor in my right frontal lobe. We were told to immediately proceed to the hospital.

I had surgery on February 22nd and was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma Stage 4 tumor. My six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy are already over. I am currently being considered for an Immunology Trial though the National Institute of Health. This is a study for intravenous medications to try to boost my immune system to help fight the cancer. I am also being considered for Optune, which works by creating Tumor-Treating Fields, which are electric fields that slow down or stop GBM cancer cell division. Although this type of cancer is still not curable it might be slowed down. We hope that these medical procedures and any others in the future will lengthen my life so that I can watch my priceless daughter grow up, be with my devoted wife, and live life to the fullest.

I am currently on short term disability from my employer while I receive my medical treatments. I hope to return to work and be able to assist our household with bills and responsibilities, however, I need to wait to be cleared by my doctors. I do experience some brain fog and memory issues. I am worried that while I am physically capable to perform tasks that my mind may make me slower than I would like, causing issues for my mental health, but also for my continued employment. I will fight through and do what I need to provide for my family. I refuse to let my wife bear this burden alone.

My wife lost her job of 14 years on April 19th, as her employer found it to be too much of a burden to allow her to work from home. Rather than try to find a happy medium... they fired her. She was juggling caring for our daughter and me while getting me to my appointments and treatments. She has been stretched thin these last four months trying to keep everything afloat and support everyones needs. She often stays up late to get work done and gets up early to help make sure I take the proper amount of medication. She is the primary caretaker and teacher to our daughter as my energy levels have been waning through treatment, often playing Mom and Dad each day. She is currently seeking employment for the evenings and weekends which would allow her to help with our daughter (Kiera), adminster anti-seizure medications, and assist with my future treatments.

Currently, I have health insurance through my employer with the intent of returning to work, but the premiums are still due. Optune may or may not be fully covered at this time, but because it is a trial, immunotherapy probably will be. However, when the plan is renewed at the end of this year, we will have to pay the deductible again. My Short-Term Disability covers 60 percent of my pay, so all our bills and premiums are coming from the limited income. Meaning, we are short on making payments. Even with my wife's upcoming new job, we still won't have enough.

We hate that we are in this position and honestly, neither of us likes to ask for help as we are very responsible and hardworking people who try to earn everything we have, but life has set us back beyond our control right now. We need to preserve the roof over our head for Kiera, the food in her stomach, the utilities to keep her warm/cool. Therefore, we are finally seeking assistance for our family.

We are beyond grateful for any help you may be willing to give.

With love and gratitude,

William, Kathleen and Kiera Chisholm