Third Time Lucky, Help John Crush Cancer for Good

This was 4 months post surgery 2017 and right after completion of radiation. We thought we had made it to the other side and put cancer behind us for good!

Please help John Crush Cancer for third and final time. We are staying positive and focusing on the good luck notion that the Third Time Lucky or the Third Time is The Charm. Websters dictionary defines Third time Lucky: two efforts at something have already failed but perhaps the third will be successful

With your help, the third time will be successful. Please help if you can.

#johnthirdtimelucky  Many say It is good luck to say it aloud, so please do so. "Johnthirdtimelucky #Johnthirdtimethecharm,  #Johncrushcancer #cancersucks

John has been diagnosed with Stage IV Squamous Cell Carcinoma Head Neck Cancer  and we need you help to Crush IT!!!

John's battle with cancer has been 12 + long years, starting in 2007 and resurfacing again.  John has battled cancer two times before, first in 2007 as a young man of 35 with a small bump on his left side tongue. He had two surgeries and a complete neck dissection, which means they removed all the lymph nodes on the left side of his neck. We tried to be as aggressive and diligent as possible.   We really believed that would be it.
These are our boys shortly after John's first cancer...

But unfortunately for us, he then faced it again exactly 10 years later in 2017, cancer had returned to his left tongue.  This was a completely different story.  This time in 2017 he had a major tongue reconstruction, meaning they removed close to half his tongue and replaced it with a section of his left arm. This was incredibly major surgery. They also opened his right neck and used a blood vessel from that side to create a working tongue, and removed most lymph nodes. His surgeon and the Team at U Of M were amazing.  He was in the hospital 8 days, had a tracheotomy, feeding tube, drains in neck and arm. He followed that with  6 weeks of  intense radiation on his left and right face and neck. It was a grueling and painful process. We lived in Grand Rapids MI at the time and made the commute daily over 4 hrs roundtrip, 30 times to Ann Arbor to get Treatment at U of M Head Neck Cancer Centers.


The boys at the hospital 3 days following surgery 2017 at U Of M...


Since surgery John has struggled with the effects of radiation including burning on his neck and face as well as the operations of a partially artificial tongue, such as difficulty eating and swallowing and limiting many foods.  But John is a positive guy and toughed it all out with the best attitude. Anyone who's knows him would agree, he is incredibly tough.

So, it was with incredible sadness that we learned last month that the cancer is in his lymph nodes, but on the right side of his neck. They removed most nodes on that side, but not all. This means cancer has entered his lymph system, which is of course how it travels to other parts of the body. He had a PETScan and luckily there was no remote disease and is isolated as of 2 weeks ago. We need to act now as fast as possible to stop the cancer from spreading and finish once and win this battle against cancer.
This is site of metastasized cancer on right neck....

Our focus now is developing the best possible treatment plan, including trying to obtain an evaluation and opinion from one of the top cancer centers in the country like MD Anderson in Houston.  By going to one of top cancer treatment centers, you open yourself to other options and treatment and hopefully any clinical trials. Unfortunately, our health insurance restricts our treatment to California, which none of the cancer centers  are in, but we are working with UCLA and U of Michigan to strategize the best course which both agree is to build the team with these type of specialists. A treatment evaluation at MD Anderson costs $19,600.  We have already sent all records to MD Anderson, they will get him the moment we can pay the upfront fee.  The other centers are similar in cost, like Sloan Kettering, Mayo, Cleveland Clinic and others.  These centers focus on cancer and can be a game changer for a complicated  case like Johns.

John's treatment will likely include Radiation and Immunotherapy (which is a fairly new cancer treatment, trying to get your bodies immune system to attack the cancer). If we can get to one of top cancer treatment centers, could possibly add surgery, clinical trials or something we don't even know about. Of course all of these treatments are incredibly expensive, in excess of several hundred thousand dollars.  

Time is not on our side because things in the lymph system can move through the body quickly. We need to start treatment as soon as possible and want the best chance to save his life. We need to get as best treatment plan as soon as possible and need funds to do it.

All Funds will be used to help cure John, including evaluation, treatment and whatever is involved to achieve that.  That is all that matters now.

John is a father to four boys who adore him. He loves nothing more than watching them play lacrosse, cooking for his family, watching football, and  anything on the water.
John and his boys at the beach...

John is an amazing husband, father, son, brother, coach and friend. Anyone who knows him knows he has a contagious zest for life and an absolute positive outlook on life.  Since his first cancer, John has said so many times, " I am just grateful to be here," and everyday he can find joy in the smallest thing.  Even though times have been tough, he is thankful for the smallest moments.  His focus is always on our boys. Jack is 17, Drew is 14, Will is 13, and Sam is 11. They NEED their dad.   Please help us save his life. I lost my father at 30 and until now was the most devastating thing that ever happened to me. Please help, so our boys won't lose theirs.  We have been married 20 years this summer and have always been true partners, I cannot imagine living even one day without him.


The Boys....

It is good luck for all of you to say this time John will crush cancer, "Third Time Lucky for John"  "Third times the charm for John."  

Please Share with anyone..........#Johnthirdtimelucky  #Johncrushcancer #cancersucks #thirdtimelucky #johnthirdtimesthecharm

Thank you all.......... We are incredibly grateful for your support.