Standing with the Essers against Cancer ✊
Donation protected
Hi everyone, my name is Trudy and I am a very close friend of the Esser family. I have known them for 12 years now and was Annie’s bridesmaid at their wedding. The Essers are family to me.
Those of us who know Patrice and Annie may know them as those friends who are so generous with their time, hospitality, and empathy that all that generosity of spirit can make one feel downright uncomfortable (in a rare, wonderful way). I have wondered from time to time how and why they lavish so much love on others, but I have gradually accepted that all I can do is be grateful that my family gets to call them our friends -- friends who always seem to naturally outgive and outlove us. They are doting and loving parents to two amazing young kids - a 2.5 year old toddler and 9 month old baby.
Last week they received the earth-shattering news that Patrice has a malignant Stage 3b PEComa (perivascular epithelioid cell tumor), which is an exceptionally rare type of sarcoma cancer. What Patrice has (PEComa of the bladder), is even more rare, with only 30 case reports documented in scientific literature. This cancer is aggressive.
It began three weeks ago when Patrice started having trouble urinating and discovered blood in his urine. An ultrasound revealed a 7.1cm mass in the bladder (for reference, the bladder is 8.6cm). In the days after the discovery, they hoped beyond hope that the tumor was benign. But within a week, a CT scan showed that it had spread to Patrice’s lymph nodes and prostate gland. The tumor was malignant, and Patrice had cancer. In the days that followed, Patrice went into emergency surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, hoping that the cancer had not invaded his muscle and could simply be removed. Unfortunately, the surgeon could only remove part of the tumor and could not unblock his ureter or kidney.
There are no approved medical treatments for Patrice’s specific PEComa. Traditional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation have limited benefit for a disease this advanced. Thus, the only options available to Patrice are clinical trials. Given the extremely aggressive nature of this cancer, Patrice will start a clinical trial at Stanford Hospital next week.
It’s difficult to try to describe on their behalf what Patrice and Annie are going through right now. For them, this is beyond heartbreaking news at a time when they feel like they are just getting started with their lives. I know that for Patrice, the heaviest burden he carries is the question of whether he will be alive long enough for his kids to remember what their father was like. I know that question is what stops him cold at unexpected moments during the day, and causes him to weep when he sees his two children. For Annie, the only way she could describe the past three weeks was to share that this is the most pain she has ever experienced in her life, primarily because she is watching Patrice, whom she loves, endure so much anguish.
If you’ve read this far, thank you for sharing this journey with the Esser family. They are not typically the types of people to ask for support. However, a number of people have asked how they can help the Essers with their practical needs. Given the magnitude of what they are facing, we (their friends and family) have encouraged them to seek and accept support. With their permission, we have put together this GoFundMe.
In the days ahead, the Essers will need help shouldering the burden of Patrice's medical needs and medical costs. Patrice will need to undergo clinical trials, which are his only treatment options currently, with potentially additional surgeries. Not all of these will be covered by insurance. To fight this particular cancer, Patrice will also need to follow a very specialized, doctor-directed diet.
>> Please note that if you choose to give through this GoFundMe page -- the Essers will be charged a transaction % fee (and the platform will ask you for a tip which is completely optional - you can change the default).
Alternatively, if you’d like to give directly to the Esser family, you can
* Venmo them at @Esser-Family (last 4 digits of cell are 1452)
* Paypal at
(We will periodically update the campaign with grouped offline Venmo donations)
Another way to support -- if you’re local to the Essers and would like to drop off organic, vegan (plant-based) meals, please provide your name and contact information here and their friend Pam (who is organizing a meal train) will reach out to you.
They are extremely grateful for your support. Prayer, texts, visits and any resources on this type of cancer are appreciated. They have been humbled and moved by every bit of encouragement they’ve received so far.
We will post updates as things progress.
Those of us who know Patrice and Annie may know them as those friends who are so generous with their time, hospitality, and empathy that all that generosity of spirit can make one feel downright uncomfortable (in a rare, wonderful way). I have wondered from time to time how and why they lavish so much love on others, but I have gradually accepted that all I can do is be grateful that my family gets to call them our friends -- friends who always seem to naturally outgive and outlove us. They are doting and loving parents to two amazing young kids - a 2.5 year old toddler and 9 month old baby.
Last week they received the earth-shattering news that Patrice has a malignant Stage 3b PEComa (perivascular epithelioid cell tumor), which is an exceptionally rare type of sarcoma cancer. What Patrice has (PEComa of the bladder), is even more rare, with only 30 case reports documented in scientific literature. This cancer is aggressive.
It began three weeks ago when Patrice started having trouble urinating and discovered blood in his urine. An ultrasound revealed a 7.1cm mass in the bladder (for reference, the bladder is 8.6cm). In the days after the discovery, they hoped beyond hope that the tumor was benign. But within a week, a CT scan showed that it had spread to Patrice’s lymph nodes and prostate gland. The tumor was malignant, and Patrice had cancer. In the days that followed, Patrice went into emergency surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, hoping that the cancer had not invaded his muscle and could simply be removed. Unfortunately, the surgeon could only remove part of the tumor and could not unblock his ureter or kidney.
There are no approved medical treatments for Patrice’s specific PEComa. Traditional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation have limited benefit for a disease this advanced. Thus, the only options available to Patrice are clinical trials. Given the extremely aggressive nature of this cancer, Patrice will start a clinical trial at Stanford Hospital next week.
It’s difficult to try to describe on their behalf what Patrice and Annie are going through right now. For them, this is beyond heartbreaking news at a time when they feel like they are just getting started with their lives. I know that for Patrice, the heaviest burden he carries is the question of whether he will be alive long enough for his kids to remember what their father was like. I know that question is what stops him cold at unexpected moments during the day, and causes him to weep when he sees his two children. For Annie, the only way she could describe the past three weeks was to share that this is the most pain she has ever experienced in her life, primarily because she is watching Patrice, whom she loves, endure so much anguish.
If you’ve read this far, thank you for sharing this journey with the Esser family. They are not typically the types of people to ask for support. However, a number of people have asked how they can help the Essers with their practical needs. Given the magnitude of what they are facing, we (their friends and family) have encouraged them to seek and accept support. With their permission, we have put together this GoFundMe.
In the days ahead, the Essers will need help shouldering the burden of Patrice's medical needs and medical costs. Patrice will need to undergo clinical trials, which are his only treatment options currently, with potentially additional surgeries. Not all of these will be covered by insurance. To fight this particular cancer, Patrice will also need to follow a very specialized, doctor-directed diet.
>> Please note that if you choose to give through this GoFundMe page -- the Essers will be charged a transaction % fee (and the platform will ask you for a tip which is completely optional - you can change the default).
Alternatively, if you’d like to give directly to the Esser family, you can
* Venmo them at @Esser-Family (last 4 digits of cell are 1452)
* Paypal at
(We will periodically update the campaign with grouped offline Venmo donations)
Another way to support -- if you’re local to the Essers and would like to drop off organic, vegan (plant-based) meals, please provide your name and contact information here and their friend Pam (who is organizing a meal train) will reach out to you.
They are extremely grateful for your support. Prayer, texts, visits and any resources on this type of cancer are appreciated. They have been humbled and moved by every bit of encouragement they’ve received so far.
We will post updates as things progress.
Co-organizers (4)
Karibu Nyaggah
Organizer
Cupertino, CA
Annie Esser
Beneficiary
Patrice Esser
Co-organizer
Trudy Hong
Co-organizer