In July of this year, Rod Terpstra fell gravely ill and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. Cancer was found in his colon and it had spread to his intestine, spleen and liver.  His spleen and a big chunk of intestine were removed in a painful operation, and since he has recovered from this surgery he's been taking chemo treatments to get rid of the remaining cancer on his liver.  This has been a very heartbreaking, stressful experience and a huge shock for him and his family and all his friends. Rod is a husband and a father who loves his family and his dog, Tydus, and has always been a strong guy who seemed unshakable, and like he could take on anything. Now he is fighting cancer and doing everything he can to win, and he is doing great. His medical bills, however, are overwhelmingly large, and he and his family are struggling to pay them, to the point where he and his wife may be forced to leave the home they've lived in for well over a decade just so they can afford the payments. This financial burden, on top of the emotional stress caused by Rod's sudden illness have been very difficult for the Terpstra family to endure, and any help they can get would be extremely appreciated and would mean the world to them. The Terpstra's have been through many hardships in life and survived, and they're not about to let this bring them down without a fight, either. 



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My dad has been through so much and the thought of losing him is devastating to me. So when I found out that he had cancer, it was one of the scariest moments of my life, and I never thought that something like this would ever happen to our family.
He may be strict and we may not see eye to eye sometimes, but he's my dad and I love him, and he's helped me become the person I am today. When I was growing up he was always there to teach me important lessons about life and he helped me grow into a stronger, more responsible person.  Some of my fondest memories from when I was little were when he'd let me sit on the couch in his office in the basement with him and he'd show me all the cool stuff he does on his computer for his job. If there was a storm I'd go down to the basement there and freak out, but he was always very patient with me and would bring up the weather radar on his computer to show me that it was going to be okay. Things like that seem simple or insignificant, but just from that, I know that he loves and cares about me very much and always wanted the best for me.  
My dad is a cool guy, he loves music and is passionate about all his favorite artists, and he loves camping or going to football games with friends, or just relaxing on the couch with his family (especially Tydus, our goofy dog, who is happy to keep him company wherever he is) and watching funny shows or movies.  He may be quiet but he has a sharp wit and loves to crack jokes, and has a lot of knowledge about so many topics that he won't hesitate to share with you. 
All this considered, his illness was extremely hard for my family to deal with, and it still feels unreal that it happened to him. Now things are finally looking up, and I'm sure that my dad is going to kick cancer's butt. He has had an amazing recovery and every day it seems like he's getting better and better, and he's handling the chemo treatments like a pro. When I heard that my parents were struggling with paying the medical bills, I knew I had to do something to help them. I owe this to my parents, and I don't want them to have to deal with this burden in addition to all the other stress they have had to struggle with. They've already been through hell and I don't want them to lose their home because of this. Any donation will help them and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 
-Taylor Terpstra