One Home, Multiple Cancer Diagnoses

This GoFundMe was initially started to support Autumn, who was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive, stage-four cancer on September 24, 2021. She was just weeks into her first year at Wayne State University. This campaign supported her mom, Denise Urban, in caring for Autumn and stepping away from her work as a therapist to take Autumn to her appointments and to care for her as she coped with the many side effects such treatments cause. While dealing with Autumn's cancer, Denise's husband, Michael, a veteran, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Shortly afterward, Autumn's very caring, supportive boyfriend, Gabe, was diagnosed with a form of leukemia that requires intensive treatment for several years (to see his GoFundMe campaign, click here: https://gofund.me/34cab558). Then Denise's mother's breast cancer returned (but appears, for now, to be under control). This family has just been hit with wave after wave of cancer.

Autumn, a funny, caring, generous 19-year-old passed away on October 24, 2022, thirteen months to the day from her diagnosis (obituary and photo slide show here: https://www.phillipsfuneral.com/obituaries/Autumn-J-Waack?obId=26220921). This GoFundMe community gave Denise the ability to be with Autumn as much as possible and still keep a roof over her family. The generosity of so many enabled Denise to build many precious memories with Autumn and for that we are eternally grateful. Now we seek to transition this campaign to support Denise as she grieves the loss of her daughter and continues to support Michael, her mother and Gabe with their cancer journeys.

The rituals related to loss, such as the beautiful service that Beth Havlik led to honor and remember Autumn's precious life, provide powerful moments to remember and process the initial shock and grief in those early days. For Denise, and anyone losing a child, these waves can become tsunamis. Denise will be taking some time away from work to try to learn to surf these waves and to continue to care for her husband Michael as he continues to fight his own advanced cancer. It is very hard to imagine what it would be like to try to work at this time, particularly in the type of work that Denise does as a therapist. As we often say, you need to put your own oxygen mask on to be able to help the person next to you and this is what Denise must now do.

Denise will continue to share updates as she, Michael and Autumn’s brother, Bailey, work through their grief and Michael's cancer treatment continues. She has appreciated the robust responses from this community and has made the decision to keep posting, from her heart, the stories of the life of their family as they traverse this constantly changing emotional territory.

We are so grateful for your support for this family. Your strength, good wishes, donations and good acts honoring those in your own life and community struggling with illness, are greatly appreciated.

Photo: (L to R) Denise’s mom (Carole), Autumn, Gabe, Bailey, Denise and Michael.