4/16/26 UPDATE from Amanda-

"Today Jason starts chemotherapy.

It’s an especially heavy day for us. This kind of chemo is aggressive and we know it’s going to take a lot out of him. I won’t pretend that part isn’t scary. But he's strong and I'm right by his side.

Yesterday was actually supposed to be the day he started chemo, but we hit a bit of a setback. His port in his chest ended up getting infected, so they weren’t able to use it. They started him on antibiotics and are hoping it heals so it can be used in the future, but there’s also a chance it may need to be removed and replaced before his next round. In the meantime, they placed a PICC line, and he's doing chemo through that this time.

Next week, we’ll be traveling to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. We’ll be there for a full week doing more testing, hoping to uncover every possible option for him. We also get to meet with one of the top GI oncology surgeons in the country who is also a professor and their lead researcher. We are praying he can help Jason and guide us toward the best path forward.

I wanted to take a moment to say, the amount of support around us right now is something I can't even fully process. We are so grateful for our community and how quickly everyone has shown up for us in such a short amount of time.

Thank you to my sister Stephanie for setting up a GoFundMe for our family. And to every single person who has donated, shared, reached out, prayed, checked in, or given love in any way…I don't even know how to say how much this has meant to us...we are just blown away.

I also want to say a special thank you to my mom and dad, Linda and Cameron. The way they’ve shown up for us these last couple of weeks has meant everything. From taking the kids overnight without notice, getting them to school and practices, to being right there with us at the hospital, we truly couldn’t get through this without them.

And a final thank you to our closest family and friends… the way you’ve stepped in and carried pieces of this with us is something we'll never forget.

This is just the beginning, and we know there's a lot ahead of us. We appreciate every single prayer and I'll be updating as much as I can along the way. Thanks for loving on us."

4/7/26

Friends, Family and Everyone reading this,

Message from my sister, Amanda-

"This is the kind of post you pray you never have to make…..the last 2 weeks have been the worst days in our lives.

What started as Jason going to the hospital for stomach pain, turned into something we never could have prepared ourselves for.

After days of tests and procedures, Jason was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in his esophagus and stomach.

The type of cancer Jason has is called signet ring cell adenocarcinoma, and it is rare and especially aggressive.

Watching the person you love go through something like this is a kind of pain I don’t even know how to explain, and it’s been just as devastating to see what it’s done to our kids.

We know we have a long road ahead.

He has already undergone surgery to have a feeding tube placed into his intestines because his stomach has stopped working, so he can get the nutrition his body needs. He has also had surgery to have a port placed in his chest for chemo since this will be starting very soon.

We plan on traveling to the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Florida and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to get a second opinion on treatment and make sure we are doing everything we possibly can, especially because this is a rare type of cancer that isn’t commonly seen.

Right now, we just need our people to wrap around us. Please pray for Jason. Pray for healing, strength, peace, and a miracle. Please pray for our kids and our family as we try to walk through the hardest thing we've ever faced.

We are heartbroken. We are scared. But we are going to fight this with everything we have."

My Brother-in-law is beginning the hardest fight of his life and my Sister's Family needs all the help they can get. As Jason begins this intense fight, the financial reality of medical care is setting in quickly. Between surgeries, upcoming chemotherapy, ongoing treatments, and the need to travel out of state to see specialists experienced with this rare cancer, the costs are overwhelming. Jason is also the sole provider for their family while Amanda takes care of their four children (Hunter, Paetyn, Olivia & Cameron).

I am asking for your support to help them cover:

• Medical bills and treatment costs not fully covered by insurance

• Travel expenses to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston (airfare, lodging, meals)

• Lost wages while Jason takes time off work

• Ongoing daily expenses while focusing on treatment

• Caring for and supporting their children during this incredibly difficult time

Every donation—no matter how small—helps lift one more weight from Jason & Amanda’s shoulders so that Jason can focus on healing, fighting, and being together with family & friends.

Please consider sharing this fundraiser, sending prayers and offering encouragement to Jason. They need all the support they can get!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for prayers and generosity. Jason is a FIGHTER!

With gratitude and hope,

Stephanie Payton