Cancer cant beat us
THE STORY:
Our story begins in May 2016… OK, rewind… our story really began when we started dating the spring of 2009, but this unfortunate chapter actually started with a blissful day in May 2014 – our wedding day. To start, it is important for you to know that our song for our first dance was "Home" by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. While getting ready, my bridesmaids brought me a wedding gift which Mark had purchased for me. I opened it to find the sweetest piece of art: a frame which had 4 hearts made out of maps in it with the caption “Home is wherever I’m with you,” in the middle. Three of the hearts made a lot of sense: (Columbus- where it all began, Akron-our only home outside of Columbus where we strengthened our relationship during a difficult time, and Savannah, GA- where Mark proposed to me). The forth, however, I didn’t quite get. It was a heart map of Europe. We had never been, even though I had always dreamed of going. That’s when one of my bridesmaids explained to me that Mark wanted to plan our dream honeymoon to Europe! I was over the moon. Fast-forward to two years later May 2016, we had saved enough money and were able to make our dreams a reality. We spent our second anniversary in Europe! It was supposed to be a two week vacation, but unfortunately, we had to cut it short after just one week.
Throughout our trip Mark started experiencing some discomfort, and then on day seven, while walking around Acropolis in Greece- the discomfort became more and more apparent. After waiting until the evening because of the time difference, we made a call back to the states to discuss his symptoms with our primary care physician who advised us to go to the nearest emergency room. If you've never been to Greece- let me tell you- their medical system is nowhere near the standards of the hospitals in the states. Anyway, a few hours, an ultrasound, and 8 euro (about $8.50 US) later, we were sent on our way without a clear answer, but a lingering suspicion that Mark had testicular cancer. I still think that they knew, but didn't feel as though it was their place to break the news, as we were two tourists who could barely understand the broken language- you could see it in their eyes. Our next decision felt unreal: were we going to leave the honeymoon we put so much time, work, and money into an entire week early, or wait it out with the hope that everything was OK and we were just overthinking it? After providing all of the medical documentation (in an unrecognizable language) we were booked on the next flight home. That 10+ hour flight was the longest and most emotional ride of our lives. The thoughts running through our minds, the exhaustion from 20+ hours of no sleep, the uncertainty of what was next to come...it was too much. We will forever cherish the memories made on that trip, but it will always feel unfinished... and unfair.
So, after we returned home, had scans and tests, and a couple of grueling days with no answers, we finally received the news on Thursday, June 2nd 2016… Mark did in fact have testicular cancer. He had the cancer surgically removed, and we thought that was it- we were lucky! We had to go for scans every three months for 6 months, then every 6 months for the next few years. We went for what was to be his last three month scan, feeling very optimistic. That was when they told us that they saw something they didn’t want to. A few weeks and tests later, and just three days before Christmas, we learned the cancer metastasized to his upper abdomen area. Two days after Christmas, he began the aggressive chemo plan which he is currently undergoing. Mark shows up with a positive attitude and smile on his face every morning, which is just one of the many things that make me so proud to be his wife. In fact, it was also one of the things that first drew me to him when we met all those years ago.
WHY GOFUND ME?
Help is something hard for us to ask for, as we are hardworking people and consider ourselves fortunate; but this unexpected disease has taken a toll on us. Mark is still trying to put in hours at work (as much as he is able without overexerting himself) and I continue to work while still caring for him, and showing up to every treatment and appointment right by his side. We are doing our best, but have lost a lot (and had to replace a few expensive necessities in our home which happened to all fall within the same time period). The money raised will help with the medical costs, time away from work (his current chemo plan is 9 weeks), and I would love to be able to give back the honeymoon trip that ended so abruptly. We expect to exceed this number in expenses between everything outlined. However, if we do have money left over after everything, we will be donating the remainder to the Movember Foundation. They are a great foundation spreading awareness and research to help those with testicular cancer. By 2030 they plan to halve the number of men dying from testicular cancer. Find out more about this awesome organization here: https://us.movember.com/?home
HOW YOU CAN HELP
-Share our story on social media with a personal message
-Donate what you can to this GoFundMe page
-Send positive thoughts, vibes, and prayers for a speedy recovery
GRATITUDE
Mark and I both just want to thank you all so much for all of your support this far. Between the gift baskets, head shaving, words of encouragement, offers for help, meals, etc. we have seriously realized that we are even more blessed than we originally thought. We could not make it through this time without the support system we’ve got and there are seriously no words in existence to tell you how much we truly do appreciate it. We love you all!
