Helping Frank the TANK (Frank Malko)
Donation protected
In May of this year, Frank had a mole removed from his neck which was sent off for further testing. A few days later the pathology results came back reporting a very rare form of melanoma; stage 3C nodular polypoid, the most aggressive form of melanoma. This has come as devastating news, especially considering Frank is only 35 years old.
After being diagnosed, Frank’s care started to move very quickly. He was immediately referred to an oncologist specializing in melanoma and underwent surgery; a wide local excision (WLE), and a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). The WLE is a surgery performed to remove additional tissue, diagnose the severity of disease, and to determine further treatment. The SLNB is a specialized procedure done to determine whether any melanoma cells have spread to the nearest lymph nodes. Four lymph nodes were extracted during Frank’s surgery. Results determined that cancer has spread to his lymph nodes making metastasis (spreading of the cancer) a serious concern.
The recommendation for treatment is one year of intense immunotherapy. Side effects can be severe and comparable to chemotherapy i.e. fatigue, fever, rash, nausea, vomiting, joint pain, weight loss, etc. Frank completed his first treatment on July 3rd. He will also be undergoing more scans to determine if the cancer has spread to other areas throughout his body. Please keep Frank in your thoughts and prayers.
Frank has been in good spirits. He is trying to stay positive and to live his life as normal as possible, however he is experiencing many struggles along the way. Frank will need to miss a lot of work for various appointments (dermatology, oncology, surgery, immunotherapy, scans, etc.) and the medical expenses are quickly adding up. For those of you who know Frank you know he can make you laugh until you cry, often at his expense. You would also know that he is very generous and is always willing to help anyone. He is a great daddy and softball coach to his 8 year old daughter Janella. To support Frank through this journey, we have decided to put a Go Fund Me in place. Let’s support Frank while he kicks cancer’s ass!
All funds raised will go directly to Frank Malko to help with medical expenses, and to help with any financial gaps due to missing work.
After being diagnosed, Frank’s care started to move very quickly. He was immediately referred to an oncologist specializing in melanoma and underwent surgery; a wide local excision (WLE), and a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). The WLE is a surgery performed to remove additional tissue, diagnose the severity of disease, and to determine further treatment. The SLNB is a specialized procedure done to determine whether any melanoma cells have spread to the nearest lymph nodes. Four lymph nodes were extracted during Frank’s surgery. Results determined that cancer has spread to his lymph nodes making metastasis (spreading of the cancer) a serious concern.
The recommendation for treatment is one year of intense immunotherapy. Side effects can be severe and comparable to chemotherapy i.e. fatigue, fever, rash, nausea, vomiting, joint pain, weight loss, etc. Frank completed his first treatment on July 3rd. He will also be undergoing more scans to determine if the cancer has spread to other areas throughout his body. Please keep Frank in your thoughts and prayers.
Frank has been in good spirits. He is trying to stay positive and to live his life as normal as possible, however he is experiencing many struggles along the way. Frank will need to miss a lot of work for various appointments (dermatology, oncology, surgery, immunotherapy, scans, etc.) and the medical expenses are quickly adding up. For those of you who know Frank you know he can make you laugh until you cry, often at his expense. You would also know that he is very generous and is always willing to help anyone. He is a great daddy and softball coach to his 8 year old daughter Janella. To support Frank through this journey, we have decided to put a Go Fund Me in place. Let’s support Frank while he kicks cancer’s ass!
All funds raised will go directly to Frank Malko to help with medical expenses, and to help with any financial gaps due to missing work.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jolene Nichole
Organizer
New Berlin, WI
Frank Malko IV
Beneficiary
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