Ted Paratore - Gator Strong!

My name is Nancy Batterton, and I am doing this on behalf of my brother Ted Paratore. I will start by telling you a little bit about my loving brother for those who might not know him. Ted is a devoted father to his 15 year old son. He is also a beloved son, uncle, cousin and friend to so many. Ted loves his family, he loves life and the wonderful outdoors. He also loves our great Country that he proudly defended as a Seabee in our United States Navy.  He has always believed in hard work and he exemplifies this in his everyday life! Ted's  fun-loving personality is contagious and is second to none.  Just the thought of him will surely put a smile on your face! You could almost always find Ted outside either working in his yard, "puttering" in his garage or cooking on his grill.  If he wasn't outside, you would surely find him inside cheering on his favorite Florida Gators or Tampa Bay Rays. Ted enjoys cooking and loves to share his delicious meals with others.  He is unselfish in every way and always quick to drop what he is doing to help others.  We recently found out that Ted had a large brain tumor, the size of a softball. The superior doctors at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL were able to do extensive brain surgery to successfully remove it.  However, while doing so they also discovered 9 more throughout his brain. These brain tumors are secondary forms of cancer - meaning they have stemmed from somewhere else in his body first and then spread to his brain in the form of these tumors. At this time, we aren't sure where the cancer originated from or to what extent it might be elsewhere in his body. What we do know is since there is no way to stop the tumors from forming on his brain, he will continually need to have MRI's done on a regular basis, approximately every 2 to 3 months, to check for any new ones that might form. We also know that he will be undergoing frequent chemo treatments along with a procedure called the Gamma Knife. He also has a mass on his left lung, so lung surgery will be needed to remove that, as well as part of his lung. His actual diagnosis is Stage IV Metastatic Malignant Melanoma which, simply put, means he will be undergoing a host of doctor and hospital visits, medical procedures along with various treatments, and will be fighting for his life every single day. Ted is not a quitter - he is strong and is determined to "fight like a Gator" to extend his life as much as he can. He continues to have faith and trusts in the Lord knowing that everything happens according to God’s plan. My beloved brother has touched so many lives with his kind heart, that I am hoping together we can all join in and give him the encouragement, love and support that he will so desperately need during his fight for life.  I ask that everyone please spread the word and pass this on to pray the Lord gives him and his son the strength, courage, peace and comfort they will both need. So lets all show Ted that he is not alone, and that we are not behind him but rather next to him - by his side every step of the way! I love my brother more than words could describe and from the bottom of my heart I sincerely thank you all.  May God bless each and every one of you .

Nancy