The Kandle Family

Dear friends and family of the Kandles. With hopeful hearts, we are choosing to share Tina’s story with you so that we can provide care for the Kandle family as she battles brain cancer and related complications.

Tina first began experiencing symptoms of imbalance and mild right leg weakness (on June 25, 2023). The ER at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio did a great job getting her worked up and she had her biopsy surgery within the week. She was formally diagnosed with Glioblastoma multiforme, a grade 4 brain tumor, (GBM) on July 14, just 5 days prior to GBM Awareness Day 2023 and the same day as Justin’s military retirement celebration. Although Cancer tried to derail a day of celebration and excitement for their future, as per the never-ending graciousness of the Kandle family, the party went on and the night was filled with love, celebration, and some tears.

Due to the aggressive nature of GBM, Tina started chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions on 1 Aug at BAMC, but after much discussion, careful consideration, and maybe some divine guidance and intervention, they decided to shift the care entirely to Duke University Brain Tumor Center.

Justin and Tina quickly packed up and flew to North Carolina within days of making the decision and have received amazing care and attention from Duke’s medical staff and support community. After completing a few weeks of treatment they are in good spirits and have fallen in love with the Raleigh area.

Tina is a Viking Warrior Queen and has taken on the fight against GBM with a fierceness and determination that surprises none of us. As always, Justin has been, and continues to be, the support, medical interpreter, and loving husband and father.

In their post-Air Force life Justin and Tina were looking forward to the new chapter of retirement and the prospect of civilian job offers that could bring on new adventure and excitement. However, due to the reality of a GBM diagnosis and treatment plan, Justin made the difficult decision to forgo starting a new career at this time to ensure he has the time and capacity to run side-by-side with Tina during her cancer battle. Military retirement is a wonderful thing, but their bills will be larger than his retirement income alone will be able to support.

Tina has always put others first; her husband and his Air Force career, her children and the endless practices and PTO boards, her friends and the organizations they convinced her to join. She has hosted countless parties, organized numerous events and fundraisers, baked and cooked and showed her love through every delicious bite. She is selfless, supportive, funny, and brightens every gathering with her joyous laugh and welcoming spirit. As Tina celebrates her 50th birthday September 4th, let’s show her and her family how much they are loved by donating a small gift to help ease the burdens that this diagnosis brought.