Unbeknownst to our parents, the children have decided to take matters into their own hands as sometimes pride can hinder our ability to seek help.

Already a cancer survivor, our dad is in for the fight of his life… again.

It started out like this: our dad, who we joke and call the bionic man, was going in for routine labs for yet another metal limb when the doctors called and said he needed to go straight to the emergency room. Low white blood cell and platelet count, 2 weeks in the hospital, and a cancer diagnosis later, it was determined he would be treated at RWJ and transported straight from the hospital.

At RWJ, Gary was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. While his plan of treatment was being determined, our mom was persistent on having a lesion on his face checked that wouldn’t go away. Turns out the lesion was actually a form of skin cancer, reoccurring squamous cell carcinoma, making our dad in for the fight of his life… X2.

Gary is being treated for his leukemia at RWJ first. Our mom drives him back and forth from treatment daily as he’s not allowed to drive. Once he finishes his cycle of leukemia treatment, he’ll be treated for his skin cancer. From there, his treatment will be determined. What we know for sure is Gary has a lot of fight in him, but the road will be long.

Gary has been described by people who know him as one of the kindest people they know. When he came into our mom’s life, he didn’t see us kids as extras that he would have to accept if he wanted to be with her, but nothing other than his own children. The type of “stepdad” that Gary is can best be described by a silly conversation we all once had about who we thought our parents' favorite children were. When it was asked who we thought Gary’s favorite was, we said, “Well, obviously Haley, it’s ok our feelings won’t be hurt.” Gary refused to admit this as truth and remained adamant that he loved us all the same. Gary is the ultimate family man. He loves and cares deeply about the people in his life, those that deserve it and those that don’t alike. Though he will be the last person on earth to ever ask for a handout, he is one of the first to deserve one.

We understand that times are tough for everyone right now. Every donation, big or small, is appreciated. If you don’t have the means to donate, a simple share and prayer always go a long way.