Tj Stalker & Family

Hey all, my name is Nicole, as many of you know, Tj has been one of my best friends for most of my life. As we also know, he is a very private person so I'm not sure how this is going to fly but I just can't sit back and watch this go on anymore when I know there is something I can do to maybe soften the burden of the things going on for him right now.

As many of you have heard over the last couple months there have been some health issues going on, what some of you may not know is just how long those health issues have continued. I am going to do what I can to explain without being too intrusive to Tj’s privacy. I know many of you have been concerned about what is going on because I have received many texts and phone calls asking what is going on; what I can tell you is that this has all stemmed from a cyst on his pancreas that is in a less-than-ideal location.

At the beginning of December Tj was admitted to the ICU in Cedar Rapids, then triaged down to a medical floor to recover and was eventually discharged home. He was at Mercy in Mason for a CT (for an unrelated matter), when he was led to the ER where he was told he needed to be seen and could not leave. He was admitted that night, Friday, January 13th. Monday, January 16th he was taken to Cedar Rapids as that’s where his previous treatment/hospital stay was. Cedar Rapids then decided that the best place for him to receive treatment for the cyst would be in Iowa City. He was then moved to Iowa City; I believe on Wednesday, January 18th. He had multiple surgeries and treatments at that time. Tj was hospitalized in Iowa City until February 8th when he was finally able to come home. Unfortunately, the time home with Tiffani and his 3 beautiful children did not last long, he was taken back to Iowa City one day later due to continued issues, where he remains hospitalized and will have at least one more surgery.

The future for Tj at this time will require many visits to Iowa City, and many medical expenses, on top of the bills medical and otherwise that are already mounting and without Tj being at work, I can only imagine the stress that this has caused him and his family. Tiffani is unable to take time off as she is now the only one working in a household of 5, so she has been unable to see him much during his time in Iowa City.

I know there isn’t much one can do when a friend or loved one is in a position like this, but you feel so helpless, I know that being off work has been a stressor for TJ I want to be able to do what I can to help and relieve what stress I can for him and his family. Please help me get them through this! This is going to be a long, hard road to recovery, and I want to take what I can off of their shoulders! Thank you in advance!

I will update as I can, per Tj’s permission! This is also why I chose a picture that does not show Tj's children, girlfriend or any family. It's how we all think of Tj, I want to honor his privacy the best I can!