09/29/25 Update…. One more big scary step behind us…Lincoln had his massive surgery (Esophagectomy) on 09/16 and was in for almost 7 hours! Then he went from recovery to IMCU for 3 days and then transferred for 3 more days on 7West at Roswell —-and fast

forward— he did very well and his Surgeon (Dr. Moshim Kukar) “best in the Country” we were told; and his Surgical team were on point that day! Everyone really was! Praying that his surgery follow up on Wednesday goes well. One chest Xray and a consult. We will also find out if he can move to soft foods or not. He does still have the feeding tube as his back up thank goodness! We will also find out when he begins his next round of chemotherapy. 2x week for 2 months. This includes the 24 hr chemo pump that comes home with us and immunotherapy..I thought now was a great time for an update. Thank you all for keeping us in your hearts and prayers!❤️❤️ Love to everyone..

In May of this year, Lincoln was experiencing some significant difficulty swallowing, and even getting water down was a challenge. Finally, Rachel, Colton & Brayden convinced him to go to the ER at Westfield Memorial Hospital, where it was confirmed that Linc needed to have a scope done.

By some stroke of luck, a cancellation was available on Monday. That scope led to an endoscopy with several biopsies on Wednesday afternoon.

Those tests confirmed our worst fears-and in the worst way. There was a 6cm, tube-shaped, aggressive-growing Adenocarcinoma tumor at the gastroesophageal junction (where the esophagus meets the stomach). At this point, it was believed to be stage 4 with cells spreading to the lymph node attached to Lincoln's right lung. To say that the family was devastated would be mild. Lincoln's tumor checked all of the boxes for the worst-case scenario.

For those of you unfamiliar with esophageal cancer, it is one of the fastest-growing cancers, and treatment is tricky and complicated by the fact that the esophagus cannot be simply removed as breast cancer can. Adenocarcinoma is graded as low, intermediate, and high grade. Low grade means that the cancer cells look close to normal cells and are less likely to spread. High-grade adenocarcinoma cells look very different from normal and are more likely to spread and grow rapidly. What Lincoln has is likely a high-grade tumor.

The prayers were flying from every direction, and they helped! A PET scan showed no spread, and it was confirmed as Stage 3 Adenocarcinoma. Not that it has given us much breathing room, but definitely a big win in this battle! A treatment plan was created to include a series of chemotherapy treatments followed by a 6 to 8-hour surgery to remove the tumor. Chemo began on June 20th.

As with all cancers, there are major ups and downs. Lincoln's is no different. The week following his first chemo treatment, Lincoln was admitted to Roswell Park Cancer Institute because the tumor had developed a partial blockage. Lincoln could eat or drink nothing and lost over 30lbs. Surgery to place a feeding tube was done on Friday, June 27th, and Lincoln came home that Saturday. Chemotherapy will resume on July 8th. Surgery on the tumor is expected to be sometime in September and will be performed by a renowned surgeon, Dr Kukar. Surgery will be followed up by another series of chemo treatments. This is a long road.

Throughout all of this, Lincoln continued to work at Motortrendz as much as he could. Rachel's bosses have been phenomenal, and she has been able to use FMLA time. Unfortunately, Rachel works for the county. Unlike the rest of us, FMLA for government employees is UNPAID.

Lincoln's feeding tube requires him to be hooked to it for EIGHTEEN HOURS a day. That put a damper on Linc working at all. Colton and Brayden are doing their best to keep MotorTrendz operating; however, it's not enough to keep the business afloat, let alone support the family financially. Brayden and Colton also have their own fishing charter business. This is the busy season for them. Their time to dedicate to the shop is limited. As a sole proprietor, Lincoln IS MotorTrendz. Without his expertise, there is only so much his sons can do. As if the terror of his cancer diagnosis wasn't enough!

As you can imagine, they are quickly depleting their savings between keeping the lights on, the house paid, and the shop afloat. Those of you who know Lincoln and Rachel know it's bad if they are allowing any fundraising. They'd sell their souls before asking anyone for help. They'd also be the first ones there to help if any of us asked. I know the goals are astronomical, so are the bills piling up for the shop, home, treatments, travel, fees... Can you imagine how terrifying it is to look at that from their position?

We live in an amazing community that always comes together to support each other. Please help Lincoln, Rachel, Colton, and Brayden! If you can donate, we thank you from the depths of our souls. If you can't donate, please include them in your prayers and share with those who may be able to help. We already know that prayers work, it has happened once already!

We are also working on setting up a Venmo, cashapp and a benefit account at a local credit union if you would prefer to use those. Details to come!

If you are sending directly to Rachel via venmo, please use the last 4 of her phone # 0927. Thank you!