Todd's Village Against Cancer

On August 19th after being in the hospital for approximately 5 days Todd was diagnosed with stage 4 Adenocarcinoma lung cancer. He has a large inoperable tumor at the top of his right lung and nearby lymph nodes. The size of the tumor has caused the right lung to partially collapse, had completely blocked the right bronchial tube & caused the left bronchial tube to close to around 5 millimeters causing extremely laborious breathing & lack of oxygen. Adding to complications Todd is also currently battling pneumonia as well. 

      Yesterday (august 28th) was a huge day in the battle to regain quality of life for Todd. He was brought into surgery at Seton Hospital to attempt to place a stent in his left bronchial tube so he could breathe on his own and withstand the swelling that could happen in that area during radiation treatments. They were successful in placing the stent correctly & opening the left tube to approximately 16 millimeters. In addition they were able to partially open the right tube & laser a small piece of the tumor. Dr. Hinze & his amazing  team gave our father the ability to breathe with much less effort but more importantly a better chance to continue meaningful treatment. 

    While this particular cancer is currently considered "incurable" it is treatable with modern technology & medicine in conjunction with an incredible amount of effort by the patient. Todd started weekly Chemotherapy treatment on August 21st and should start daily radiation therapy within a short amount of time. We have been told these combined treatments could help shrink the tumor and help him live comfortably for a considerable amount of time.

   While it's clear that the road will be hard and hopefully long Todd with daily support from his family is ready to hit this cancer head on.  My sister & I (B.J. & Kyrie) will act as his main support team providing daily transportation, food, shelter & care for the foreseeable future. Thankfully we all know we are not alone in this battle and understand,                                                          "it takes a village".

  The financial support from this gofundme campaign would help cover an array of different items and costs associated with his treatment and overall well being. Once released from the hospital Todd will move to  Spicewood with his family to obtain the care & nutrition needed for his survival. Family will drive him on his daily trips for radiation therapy that will be approx. 65 miles round trip & will take an estimated 2 hours per day (driving & therapy). He will also need transportation to weekly chemotherapy treatments, followups & further testing. With all the good these treatments can obtain they come with a long list of side effects that will require multiple prescriptions, additional care & equipment. 

   Todd is a very quiet & humble man that would never ask for help himself & honestly is a bit bothered by others (even his children) asking for help for him. He has always helped others to the best of his ability and always believed in "Just Treat People Right".  As we are just starting to really understand the task at hand it's clear, We need your help. While my sister & I have been fortunate enough to earn a stable income and have great marriages with supportive families we were not financially prepared for this to happen.
 
Please consider donating any amount no matter how small you may think it is. If you are unable to donate money its not the only way you can help. Sharing the link to this page exponentially increases our chances of reaching further and more people than our own capabilities allow us. Also please consider posting your support on your page for our battle in your own creative way & use the #toddsvillage so we can show him the kindness he has always showed others.

Also please keep an eye open for updates!