Support Josiah “Junior” Boyer & Family

They are feeling the love and ready to share their story with everyone in their words.

Thank you for standing with Josiah and Shelley in this fight. Please continue to share this fundraiser. Your love, prayers, kindness and support truly are appreciated!

In the last few weeks Josiah(Junior) and I have realized that many people who we have spoken to about Josiah's cancer don't realize what we are facing. I haven't made a public FB post about it so we figure it's time.

In late March Josiah had a seizure which we thought was him randomly passing out. An ER visit ended with knowing it wasn't a stroke and the dr's thought it could have been a heart issue. Left with a monitor for 2 weeks and a couple follow up appts. On April 13th my inlaws and I witnessed what we could confirm was a seizure. Another ER visit, where nothing was actually diagnosed but left with daily seizure meds thinking it was a form of epilepsy. Couple days later another appt, MRI scheduled but like 3 weeks out. The last weekend of April Josiah was experiencing debilitating headaches that would last most of the day. On April 29th I told him I was taking him to a bigger hospital where they could do MRIs then! We arrived to the hospital at about 11:30pm and by 1:30am on April 30th we knew there was a tumor the size of an egg. On Thursday May 1st Josiah was wheeled back by 8am for brain surgery to remove the mass. They were able to remove 90% of the tumor but the 10% left had a blood vessel running through it, which couldn't be disturbed. Two nights in ICU and 1 night in the step down room. He was released May 4th. Not knowing the pathology which would take a couple weeks to come back. On May 19th new were told what type of cancer it was.

Glioblastoma(brain cancer) is found in about 15,000 people per year. The average age is 64. Josiah is 28. It is a rapidly growing, highly malignant cancer. Only about 5% of people who have Glioblastoma will live past 5 years of being diagnosed.

Treatment which Josiah is in the middle of as of now is radiation 5 days a week at VCU for 6 weeks along with oral chemo daily. This will only manage the cancer for an unknown amount of time.

When it came to the 5 days a week treatment it effected how much he could work and now radiation and chemo are starting to effect how Josiah feels. This week he started losing hair from the radiation. He won't lose all of his hair but will be patches.

Monday July 14th will be the second anniversary of Blaine's death. Most people won't ever be faced with even one of these life events and with both of these experiences our community has come together to support us in so many ways! We appreciate the prayers, generosity and love that have been shown to our family.

❤️

The Boyers