Tom Kotula and family; cancer relief fund
Donation protected
About 4 months ago, my family & I began noticing my Father becoming increasingly confused, out of sorts, and just not himself. After a few weeks of hoping he would snap out of what we all thought was just a funk, we started to get concerned and took him to the ER. Mind you he is a 51 year old man who never had a reason to go to the doctor, never had any medical problems, & rarely ever even got the common head cold. So to say we were shocked and panicked when the doctor told us that the CT of his brain showed a large mass, is a complete understatement.
All of our lives were flipped upside down and my Father was immediately transferred to a different hospital. There, he was admitted for 3 weeks as he underwent brain surgery by two top neurosurgeons to remove as much of the tumor as possible.
After surgery, my Dad then went through intense physical and speech rehabilitation, as he now suffers from a disorder called Aphasia which affects a persons ability to communicate and successfully care for himself.
When the surgical pathology results came back, what we feared most became reality, that the tumor was in fact a glioblastoma; the deadliest form of brain cancer currently without a known cure.
Fast forward to today; my Dad needs 24/7 caregivers here at home. He cannot work, drive, or be on his own. We’ve been through countless doctors appointments, imaging / blood tests, daily speech therapy, 6 straight weeks of radiation treatment, and he’s now on his second round of chemotherapy.
My father still is not and may never be the same happy, funny, chill person he once was. But as my family & I have his poor prognosis lingering over our heads, we’re trying our best to make great of what time we have left.
My mom, brother, & I don’t necessarily like reaching out, asking for financial support.. but any cent, or any dollar, that anyone is willing to donate would be a tremendous help as the medical bills, pharmacy costs, and cobra health insurance payments keep piling on. Especially now, since my Dad is obviously not working and the short term disability through his work has ended.
Thanks again to all of our family and friends for the continued support.. we also just ask to please keep the prayers coming.
All of our lives were flipped upside down and my Father was immediately transferred to a different hospital. There, he was admitted for 3 weeks as he underwent brain surgery by two top neurosurgeons to remove as much of the tumor as possible.
After surgery, my Dad then went through intense physical and speech rehabilitation, as he now suffers from a disorder called Aphasia which affects a persons ability to communicate and successfully care for himself.
When the surgical pathology results came back, what we feared most became reality, that the tumor was in fact a glioblastoma; the deadliest form of brain cancer currently without a known cure.
Fast forward to today; my Dad needs 24/7 caregivers here at home. He cannot work, drive, or be on his own. We’ve been through countless doctors appointments, imaging / blood tests, daily speech therapy, 6 straight weeks of radiation treatment, and he’s now on his second round of chemotherapy.
My father still is not and may never be the same happy, funny, chill person he once was. But as my family & I have his poor prognosis lingering over our heads, we’re trying our best to make great of what time we have left.
My mom, brother, & I don’t necessarily like reaching out, asking for financial support.. but any cent, or any dollar, that anyone is willing to donate would be a tremendous help as the medical bills, pharmacy costs, and cobra health insurance payments keep piling on. Especially now, since my Dad is obviously not working and the short term disability through his work has ended.
Thanks again to all of our family and friends for the continued support.. we also just ask to please keep the prayers coming.
Organizer
Emily Kotula
Organizer
Sterling Heights, MI