Support John & Family bc Cancer Sucks

Update Jan 13: John is back in NYC after having emergency surgery in Little Rock to remove the remaining tumors that were causing the brain bleeds and subsequent stroke symptoms. He is undergoing another gamma knife surgery and the doctor is confident it will destroy any remaining melanoma in his brain.

So far John has regained some muscle control in his right arm! We are hopeful he will continue to gain back more sensation and ability.

Right now the plan is for John to go back on Immunotherapy, which crosses the blood brain barrier, hopefully keeping melanoma from growing back. Previously when he was taking immunotherapy treatments his organs grew irritated and he had to stop. So now we are pulling for his body to handle it well so that dang cancer can be beaten back.

It’s been an exhausting last month for Elisa and family but they are pressing forward with courage and love. Thank you to everyone who has shown support it means so much!

Update: John was able to come home for Christmas which we are so grateful for. Unfortunately, since then his condition has deteriorated rapidly. He had stroke symptoms the day after Christmas and had emergency brain surgery Friday. The bleeding from tumors and surgery resulted him losing control of his right hand with his left hand still at 10% strength. He was stabilized and returned home only to be life flighted last night for another emergency brain surgery. Miraculously he made it through surgery and woke up afterwards. All tumors have been removed. One of the tumors was in the area of his brain that controls speech. We are still waiting to see how the removal of that tumor will impact him. Right now they are just trying to keep him stable.

With the constant back and forth costs are racking up, and the coming months are going to be drastically different for Elisa and the kids. Anything you can give to support them is so greatly appreciated.

John Griggs is my cousin through marriage and the nicest guy you’ll ever meet. John’s melanoma has spread to his brain, which they found due to a seizure the week. He is going to have brain surgery to remove as much as possible. All this has happened while he is out of state on a trip so he is separated from his family right before Christmas.

We want their family to be together for Christmas, whether that’s getting everyone to him or getting him safely home after surgery. This gofundme is to raise funds for their travel, and for the coming months.

With John’s ability to work up in the air depending on his recovery and Elisa currently in grad school, we’d also love for them not have to stress about having enough funds to cover their bills and needs for the next few months.

Anything you can give is much appreciated. We all are praying and hoping for the best.