Support Christopher's Battle Against Stage 4 Rectal Cancer
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We are reaching out to share Christopher's story, a young middle school teacher, living life to the fullest, and spreading joy to all. Commonly known as Mr. Christmas to his students, he is the first to volunteer for events and always puts the children first. He's often seen talking to everyone and uplifting people visibly having a challenging day. During the time he is off work due to treatments, he spends his time mentoring people he crosses paths with along the way in life. He thankfully now has Noelisa and her son and daughter to add to his family. They aren't engaged as of now, but we are hopeful.
Brief Biography:
He wrote a piece to share his Cancer Story below, but first, let's share a little bit of his back story. He spent his youth traveling with his family throughout Texas. His family raised him to be caring towards all he met along the way. He graduated from Lewisville HS in 2008. During his time there, he completed 4 years of marching band as a French Horn player while earning the rank of Eagle Scout. He spent time lifeguarding during college and joined Alpha Phi Omega to spend time completing service projects for the Denton community. He gradutated from the University of North Texas in December of 2013. He continues to mentor college students and many others to this day. His life is dedicated to service.
Believe it or not, Chick Fil A on Main Street in Lewisville actually made shirts in support of Christopher as he began his initial treatments. Someone on the internet even used AI to create a song for him. It's actually a pretty accurate song to his personality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UywNSyjVmQc On the internet, he's known as Cats, Meowdy, Alex, and OnlyCatsTTV.
Our Message:
As Christopher and his family navigate this very challenging time, they face not only emotional strain, but also significant financial burden. We are humbly asking for your support. Your generous contributions will help cover Christopher's medical expenses, considerable travel costs, and unknown associated expenses.
Together, lets rally around Christopher and show him that he is not alone in this fight. Your financial assistance, thoughts, prayers, and positive energy will make a meaningful difference in Christopher's journey towards healing and recovery.
If you are unable to contribute financially, please consider sharing Christopher's story with your networks and offering your heartfelt support. Every gesture of kindness and solidarity uplifts Christopher and his family during this trying time.
We are forever grateful for your unconditional love, support, and generosity. Please check on him from time to time. He likes to keep social and is actively building a community in his discord.
His Cancer Story:
"At the age of 32, I received the news that I had to face a challenge I never would have expected, a battle against Stage 3c Rectal Cancer. (This led to a development of Stage 4 later in the story.) People continuously ask me how I found it at such a young age. Initially I went into the Gastrointestinal doctor to see why I had blood in my stool. They ordered a colonoscopy to be completed on December 21st, 2022. On Christmas Day 2022, I received the news. During genetic studies, it was concluded I also have Klinefelter's Syndrome leaving me unable to have biological children of my own.
After a series of CT, MRI, and PET scans, my medical team determined Radiation Therapy blended with Chemotherapy should be the first step. I received 5 straight days of Radiation and Chemotherapy on 2/6, 2/7, 2/8, 2/9, and 2/10, the week after my 33rd birthday. Thankfully the radiation wasn't too terrible. The thing that got to me was the chemo. Capecitabine wrecked my body.
The following week I underwent surgery to place my port, then launched directly into my Chemotherapy Adventure. The chemotherapy of choice was Oxaliplatin. The really cool part is Platinum is one of the key elements. I always used to joke with friends saying, "If someone steals me, they want me for my Platinum."
During this time, I went from being completely unable to walk, to only battling weight loss and neuropathy. I learned on the first day I was severely allergic to a commonly administered anti-nausea medication commonly known as Emend. As someone hasn't experienced an Anaphylaxis reaction, this was pretty scary. Thankfully this was caught and fixed quickly!
Most would think the chemotherapy center is a place you wouldn't be happy to spend time at. I choose to see life as positively as possible. Given the circumstances, I try to improve the lives of those around me. I hope my light will shine to someone who needs it. The main thing that kept me going was having to do this to survive, so I can continue to teach and build up my students. You will do some impressive things when your life's on the line.
On August 3rd, I received an Ileostomy to remove Rectal Cancer. Most would think the battle is over when the cancer is removed, but that's just a rest stop on the journey. Unfortunately during the first surgery, they missed a spot and didn't fully stitch my connection up... this led to a lengthy ER stay. It was fixed quickly.
An ostomy bag was given to me for a span of 3 months. During these 3 months, I actually found it to be a super cool experience. It gave me something new to teach my students and friends about! On October 19th, they gave me an Ileostomy Reversal to remove the ostomy bag and reconnect me. I was thankful to be done with it. It makes doing things I used to be able to do like taking hikes and camping rather complicated.
I then had to have an Aspiration to remove what I like to call "Mystery Liquid" that was found in my body during a CT scan. Fun times on the adventure of life!
For months after this situation, we were hopeful we removed all of the cancer and had all of the situations taken care of. My Oncologist steadily monitored my bloodwork bi-weekly to check for signs of cancer cells. On June 20th, I had a colonoscopy that showed I was good to go in the tract. On June 27th, 2024 a PET scan confirmed I have cancer in my right lung.
As of July 5th, I have been diagnosed with Stage IV Rectal Cancer. It is now considered Metastatic. I'm not really sure how long I'm going to live... but I do plan to continue to live life to the fullest. My Oncologist encourages me not to lose hope. Due to the small size of the cancer spot, there's a tiny chance the cancer could be removed all at once during the biopsy. There's a small chance of cure.
Now my adventure continues. I plan to live as long as possible with the highest quality of life. I have an appointment with a Thoracic Surgeon to schedule a biopsy. In the case my biopsy shows signs of cancer, I will be receiving a treatment made up of two chemotherapy drugs, Irinotecan and Panitumumab. The nurse said in medical school, they are taught to say "I ran to the can" to remember Irinotecan. Sounds exciting... I will keep you updated on my journey as it develops.``
Thank you for your continued support! Anything helps.
Sincerely,
Christopher W Smith
7/14/24
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Co-organizers (3)
Christopher Smith
Organizer
Lewisville, TX
Mark Smith
Co-organizer
Sallie McRae
Co-organizer