Hey there,

For several months now, my pride has kept me from publicly admitting that my family is in need of help. But at this point, I know it’s time to put that aside, accept the reality of our situation, and ask for support through this GoFundMe page.

So here goes nothing…

In February of this year, my father, Tony, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Since then, he has accumulated over $500,000 in medical expenses—including hospitalizations, ER visits, doctor’s appointments, chemotherapy treatments, and more. Sadly, this staggering amount is only the beginning of what’s to come.

Since his diagnosis, our family has been doing everything we can to maintain some sense of normalcy for my dad. Over the next eight weeks, he’ll be receiving chemotherapy infusions every other week. Following that, there’s a strong possibility he’ll also need to undergo radiation therapy—especially if the chemo alone doesn’t shrink the tumor enough to make it operable.

All of this treatment is in the hopes that my dad will become a candidate for a complex and high-risk procedure known as the Whipple surgery. This surgery is only performed if the cancer has been reduced to a size that makes removal safe and viable. If he’s fortunate enough to qualify for the Whipple procedure, it could very well save his life.

Throughout this entire journey, my father has been supported by his loving and incredibly devoted 80-year-old mother, Susan. She has driven him to every chemo appointment and countless other doctor visits—many of which are far from home, as they live near Tampa, Florida and everything is a little further of a drive… On top of the emotional toll, my grandma has taken on the full load of providing fuel, food, and shelter to ensure my dad has the 24/7 care he needs. All of these things have begun to take a serious toll on her finances as well.

By the grace of God, my dad is being treated at Moffitt Cancer Center, one of the top-rated cancer hospitals in the country, which is about an hour from where they live. His oncologist is based there, and all of his treatments take place at Moffitt. While he is in very capable hands, pancreatic cancer is an extremely aggressive and deadly disease—it spreads quickly and must be treated just as aggressively.

At this point, the financial burden has become overwhelming for our family. We simply can’t do this alone anymore.

So, with my pride set aside—this is our story.

If you are in a position to help someone today, please consider letting that someone be my dad. I truly can’t imagine a world without him in it- and if you know him, chances are you feel the same way I do.

Have a blessed day

UPDATE: my dad’s cancer has aggressively and rapidly metastasized to his liver/intestines. He has been given a wheelchair in which he uses around his home on a day to day basis to get around. Tony is in an unbearable and immeasurable amount of pain. My dad is on oxygen as needed and has a full time caregiver who makes sure he is safe and sound. My family is asking for your thoughts and prayers as my dad and our family go through this horrifying process. This man has done a lot for those around him and has never failed to show us his unconditional love.