Hello. My name is Tara Tyndall. I hope this message finds all who read it, well. On March 8th, 2023, my best friend and the man I love more than anything in this world went in for a biopsy on a sore/tumor that was present on the side of his tongue. The results came back on March 14th, 2023, that the lesion is cancerous. My husband's name is Matthew Tyndall and he is 36 years old. He served 4 years in the US Army as a Chaplain Assistant, attended college at ECU and is currently working for the Dept. of the Navy as a management analyst. We have two children together, both teenagers. Our daughter is 16, her name is Lyndsay and our son is 14, his name is Liam. They are being as strong as can be expected. Matt is the kind of man that would give you the shirt off of his back, he is kind and generous and he loves deeply. He's funny and always seems to know what to say to make someone feel better or laugh. Even now he's been doing his best to keep himself and even the rest of us all in high spirits. He never ceases to amaze me with that. I would truly be lost without him. He likes fishing, video games, exploring, learning and discovering new things, music, and movies. He loves, animals, his kids, myself, all of his friends and family and God.
Cancer is something that should not exist, but it does and here we are now. It has a name. Invasive squamous cell carcinoma. It came very unexpectedly, as my husband doesn't partake in any of the activities that are typically associated with cancers of the mouth, and generally follows a pretty good diet and exercise routine for his health. He eats better than I do, ha. I know that you don't have to do any of those things to get cancer (clearly) but of all the health issues that could have plagued him/us in this life, I'd be lying if I didn't say, this is honestly one we never would have even considered. I do not wish this news on anyone in this entire world. I'm sure I don't need to tell you all that it feels crushing, it is thought-consuming, it's wearing and SO painful. It makes you feel helpless. And that's just for those of us not dealing with the actual cancer.
Despite all of that, I/we still have hope. As of right now, the information we have is scant. We know he has cancer, we know what it is, we know that it is somehow both aggressive AND slow growing at the same time and we know the survival rates. My husband has a screening on the 31st of March (sooner if we can change it to sooner) to see if it has metastasized (spread,) most specifically to his lymph nodes. From there we have also set up an appointment with MD Anderson in Houston, Texas for April 4th, 2023. It is for an initial consult and some additional testing. This is supposed to be the best cancer treatment center in the country and possibly the world, but we live in North Carolina. That is what we are creating this Gofundme for. We are asking for help to supplement the cost of round-trip travel to and from this first appointment. After calculating the cost to include lodging (for a week shortly before Easter) and airfare we are looking at around $2000. I will not be able to go along but as long as he is getting the treatment he needs that is all that matters now.
At this time we are only asking for help for this specific appointment. We hope to save for future visits, as money and life will allow. If that should become more than we can handle, financially, then we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Please even if you can't help monetarily, we ask that you share this with everyone you may know. ALL forms of support are greatly appreciated and EVERY little bit helps. We are also asking, regardless of your religious beliefs or lack thereof, for as many good vibes, as much good healing energy and as many prayers as you can muster without it interfering with your own lives. In many ways that is even more important. thank you for spending the time it took to read this, it means a lot to me. Updates will be provided as time goes on and we see where this all goes.
Please, if you're able, consider helping us and have a good rest of your day. You too are in our thoughts and prayers.
May you all remain healthy, safe and above all cancer free.
