Family, friends, Platte County and North Kansas City communities,

Andrew Parrish, a close friend of our family and fellow Pirate football and basketball player, is in need of community support.

In April, Andrew was diagnosed with testicular cancer and had to have his testicle removed, as well as undergoing fertility treatments. At the time, doctors thought the surgery was all he would need. Three weeks ago, when Andrew went in for a routine checkup and scan, doctors found a mass in his abdomen: metastatic germ cell cancer. Andrew's and his family's routine lives have now changed dramatically.

On Friday, September 25th, Andrew began his first round of chemotherapy and will have to stay in the hospital for 5 days for treatment. He will then return home for 2 days before going back to the hospital for an infusion. He will follow this routine on 21-day cycles with infusions every Friday. He will do this 9 times for a total of 45 hospital overnight stays. At the end of 9 weeks, Andrew will be reevaluated to determine next steps. In the event Andrew gets a fever at any point, he will have to go to the ER.

Andrew's diagnosis and treatment routine will affect his schooling, ability to play the sports he loves - football and basketball - his physical health, and his parents' ability to consistently work. Jamar, Andrew's dad, was an excellent assistant coach for the PCHS football and track teams for many years, as well as a current track coach for Staley High School. Jamar has also impacted hundreds, if not thousands, of kids' lives through his track club. Though FMLA protects Jamar's job as an AVID teacher at New Mark Middle School, his pay is not protected. Once Jamar depletes his annual leave days, he will go unpaid for the remainder of the time he needs to be by Andrew's side.

The Parrish family needs our financial support. Your donation will help the family pay for the impending medical bills, hospital overnight stays, and fertility treatments that will be difficult to cover due to the loss of income his parents will, no doubt, experience throughout Andrew's fight against metastatic germ cell cancer, as well as all of the unforeseen expenses that arise.

Please donate what you can to support Andrew Parrish and his family's fight to rid him of this disease.