We (Hannah Torbert and Neil Schmitzer-Torbert) are raising funds to support our brother, Tom Torbert and his family, as they start their fight against lung cancer.

 

A loving father, a wonderful friend, Tom Torbert found himself experiencing a lot of pain at the end of the summer. After a few medical tests, his doctor ordered a CT scan, which came back with some very concerning results. There were masses in both lungs, and some spots in his liver. After that first CT scan, Tom and his fiancée, Kelly, spent almost a month fighting their way through a tangle of problems with an insurance network to try to get some answers.

 

After that first CT scan, it was three weeks before Tom was approved for a biopsy. And, that was when doctors confirmed that Tom has an aggressive form of lung cancer (small cell), which has spread to his liver and kidneys.

 

To get this news was devastating for all of us. That a young man, loved by his family and friends, with a fiancée and a young son, had lung cancer just did not seem possible. We cannot even describe how important this family is to us, to our community. We want the best for Tom and Kelly, and their son, Skylar.

 

So, now, we are jumping out of paralysis and in to action. Tom has started his treatment, and we feel so relieved that he has a great medical team working on his case. If you Google (but please, don’t do that) small cell lung cancer, the prognosis is poor. But, treatments are continuing to improve, and we are excited that Tom is working to enroll in a new clinical trial specifically for small cell lung cancer.

 

It is a great relief, for us, to see Tom’s treatment has started, and that he is getting great care. And, we want to do our part, too. Right now, what Tom, Kelly, and Skylar need most, beyond us being there for them, is help with their expenses. To help cover medical expenses. To make up for lost work. To cover all of the unpaid time off that is going to be required as they manage all of the medical visits. To make sure Skylar has everything a four-year-old needs.

 

 

What we want for this family is for all of them to be able to focus on Tom’s treatment, and to be able to be present for one another during this time. We don’t want them to have to worry about finances, as they have enough worries as it is.

 

In his memoir about his wife, Kate’s, cancer, Paul Broks was struck by something that Kate said to him, late in her treatment, “You don’t know how precious life is. You think you do, but you don’t.”

 

Maybe we don’t know, either. Not really. But, we know, we are learning, how precious time is, and we want to make the most of each minute.

 

 

All donations will be sent to Kelly, Tom's fiancée, and Tom and Kelly will use any funds raised to meet their expenses.

Anything you can contribute is enough, and will be a blessing to this family. Thank you.