Support Marv in his battle with Esophageal Cancer

For those who don’t know, my father-in-law Marv Allard was diagnosed with Stage 2 Stomach/Esophageal Cancer on May 9, 2022. For months before that, he wasn’t feeling well and would often have trouble swallowing or keeping down food resulting in weight loss and fatigue, but he still pushed through and continued to work two jobs. Anyone who knows Marv knows he’s always been a hard worker and someone who enjoyed working with his hands, building anything and everything, savoring a good meal, catching a movie at the theatre and tinkering with his chainsaws. But in May, all that changed.

He discovered that the abdominal pain he had developed and trouble swallowing was from cancer in an area that affected where the esophagus and stomach meet. The inflammation was closing off the esophagus, not allowing hardly any food or drink to pass. Malnutrition and dehydration started to take over pretty rapidly. After numerous delays and problems with insurance, he finally received surgery and had a J Tube inserted to begin obtaining a nutritional supplement and ultimately save his life. Once this was in place, he could start receiving treatments to go after cancer. Since his initial surgery at the beginning of June, Marv has been unable to work. He has had several hospital stays and a couple of surgeries to date. He is going on six weeks of treatments - one day a week of chemo and five days a week of radiation. The radiation has damaged the tissue inside his esophagus, making it impossible for him to swallow anything, including even sips of water. He has had several new doctors and surgeons and even required some home health care specialists. He and his wife Connie are at several appointments daily, Monday through Friday. The gas expense alone is staggering, and the medical bills are starting to come in. He has health insurance, but the copays are substantial, and since he has been out of work, no income has been coming in.

Marv still has a long road ahead of him, and there’s a high probability that he will end up having to have a major surgery within the next couple of months, followed by continued therapy. He’s trying to stay positive, but it’s hard with the added stress over how he’s going to pay the bills, and that is something he shouldn’t have to worry about right now. We all want him to be able to focus on getting better. If you can help in any way, it would be greatly appreciated. If you cannot help, maybe you can kindly share Marv’s story. Thank you!