Gary Stamper Medical Fund

Carrie Kubiak Stearns is organizing this fundraiser.

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First, a little bit about the special man, Gary Stamper...
Father to Ryan Stamper, Holly Stamper, and Anastasia Davis, Grandfather to Joelynne Halt-Stamper, Markus Halt-Stamper, Joseph Patton, and Charlotte, Patton, Brother to Wayne, Bruce, and Carl Stamper, Son to Mary and Philip Stamper

Loving husband to Julia Anderson.

Friend to ALL!

A world traveler, who shares his knowledge and wisdom freely. Self-employed as a passionate, tireless, and amazing landscaper. A military brat who loves the sports-oriented lifestyle -including 38 years as a snow ski instructor at Breckenridge Ski Area where he is a certified level III ski instructor, level II tele mark instructor, level I snowboard instructor, and an accredited children’s ski instructor. He is a wakeboard and boating enthusiast, MELT Instructor, certified as a Personal Trainer, certified Pilates instructor and currently is focused on nutrition studies.

And did you know... Gary was born February 15th 1956 in Merced California. He graduated in 1974 from Kaiserslauter American military high school in Germany. He attended the University if Bayern in Germany. He studied sports recreation, German, economics, and political science at the University of Northern Colorado for 3 years. He then obtained a Bachelors of Arts in Business from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

October 5th 2014 Gary received the most shocking news of his life. He has a form of cancer called Multiple Myeloma. Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. Plasma cells help you fight infections by making antibodies that recognize and attack germs. Multiple myeloma causes cancer cells to accumulate in the bone marrow, where they crowd out healthy blood cells. Rather than produce helpful antibodies, the cancer cells produce abnormal proteins that can cause kidney problems. As myeloma cells increase in number, they damage and weaken the bones, causing pain and often fracture. When bones are damaged, too much calcium is released into the blood, leading to loss of appetite, nausea, thirst, fatigue, muscle weakness, restlessness, and confusion. Myeloma cells prevent the bone marrow from forming normal plasma cells and other white blood cells that are important to the immune system, so patients with multiple myeloma may not be able to fight infections. Myeloma cells can also prevent the growth of new red blood cells in the marrow, causing anemia. Excess antibody proteins and calcium may prevent the kidneys from filtering and cleaning the blood properly. Chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant are the primary treatments.
Unfortunately multiple myeloma is not curable, but it is treatable with aggressive chemo therapy and auto stem cell transplant. Because cancer cells don't mature and then die as normal cells do, they accumulate, eventually overwhelming the production of healthy cells. In the bone marrow, myeloma cells crowd out healthy white blood cells and red blood cells, leading to fatigue and an inability to fight infections.

Gary has undergone 12 radiation treatments to try and shrink the t10 tumor in his spinal column that was causing considerable compression and swelling around his spinal cord. He will receive 14 rounds of chemo which will kill his cancer as well as his bone marrow. He is currently on the 4th and last cycle of chemotherapy and responding well. Next he will undergo an auto stem cell transplant. After all the therapy and transplant he will be on an oral chemo for life and have frequent monitoring and bone marrow biopsies to make sure the myeloma has not returned. Gary will have to stay away from infected people and places like the ski school locker room and hospitals grandchildren etc.

As you can imagine all of these therapies are considerably expensive. Just one injection of Velcad (chemo) is $8,000. Not to mention all the diagnostics, hospital bills, blood tests, home health services, and other medications to manage his condition safely. He has had to go on Medicaid and food stamps and has exhausted every financial resource to date and we need your help!!

Gary will be staying with his parents in Colorado Springs, Co for his chemotherapy and will have his transplant in Denver sometime this coming spring. This condition is life changing, but he is very hopeful that he will be able to return to his active lifestyle once treatment is completed.

As a family we have come together and are doing the best we possibly can, but now we need some help!