Sam V.S. Cancer - We Battle Together!
Donation protected
Inevitably it seems cancer affects us all at one point in our lives. We may have family or friends who have been diagnosed with it, or have even personally battled this disease. The evil indifference of cancer means it does not care if you’ve been a good person. It does not care if you are a father, a mother or a child. It does not allow you to dictate when it strikes or how aggressive it will be. Cancer is utterly callous towards life itself.
The reasons why some people are forced in to this battle they never chose is oftentimes unexplainable. In our own attempts to understand why this is happening to another we imagine ourselves in their place. We know that any day could be our day and the cruelty of cancer could force us in to this same battle. In a certain way our shared vulnerability to cancer unites us. Cancer is our common enemy and we battle it together.
For those who know Sam Storkson it is difficult to think of a time he hasn’t been smiling. His positivity and friendliness are immediately apparent even if you’ve only met him once for a short time. If you’ve seen him with his 3 children, Sonny, Scout and Selah, you’re amazed at how supportive, loving and fun a father he is. Sam’s children are his world and he is theirs. Sam’s rock and center of his universe is his wife Nikki. Their mutual love, adoration and support for each other is inspiring.
In February of 2018 Sam was given the life-changing diagnosis of Aggressive Metastatic Papillary Thyroid Cancer. Sam’s had his first surgery, a bilateral neck dissection and a total thyroidectomy (thyroid removal) March 5th. Radioactive iodine therapy followed in May 2018. Side-effects of radioactive iodine and thyroid surgery left Sam with bilateral vocal cord paralysis and difficulty breathing. He subsequently had 2 more surgeries on his vocal fold to help his breathing, but they were not as successful as hoped. In December 2018 an ultrasound showed a new suspicious lymph node, the biopsy came back as cancer and he was referred back to Mayo. Sam’s doctors placed a tracheostomy tube in his airway to alleviate his breathing on January 22, Sam is currently recovering from that operation. Sam will need another surgery in the future to remove the cancer and additional tests will be performed to make sure the cancer has not spread. Despite all of this, Sam is hoping to return to work as soon as possible.
If you have seen Sam lately you have noticed his difficulties to speak. Despite his paralyzed vocal cords and trouble breathing this amazing man still makes sure to say hi and ask how YOU are doing; and there is ALWAYS a smile on his face.
Over the past year Sam has had to be out of work multiple times for doctor’s appointments, treatments and surgeries. The financial strain a major illness causes can be overwhelming, in addition to the physical and emotional strains. The stress of finances can take away from what Sam should really be focusing on, himself and his family. Sam will not battle this alone. His wife and children will not battle this alone. We will battle with them.
Please donate what you can. Every dollar raised means less time Sam and his family have to worry about bills and more time just being a family. Let’s show the Storkson’s they are not alone in this fight.
The reasons why some people are forced in to this battle they never chose is oftentimes unexplainable. In our own attempts to understand why this is happening to another we imagine ourselves in their place. We know that any day could be our day and the cruelty of cancer could force us in to this same battle. In a certain way our shared vulnerability to cancer unites us. Cancer is our common enemy and we battle it together.
For those who know Sam Storkson it is difficult to think of a time he hasn’t been smiling. His positivity and friendliness are immediately apparent even if you’ve only met him once for a short time. If you’ve seen him with his 3 children, Sonny, Scout and Selah, you’re amazed at how supportive, loving and fun a father he is. Sam’s children are his world and he is theirs. Sam’s rock and center of his universe is his wife Nikki. Their mutual love, adoration and support for each other is inspiring.
In February of 2018 Sam was given the life-changing diagnosis of Aggressive Metastatic Papillary Thyroid Cancer. Sam’s had his first surgery, a bilateral neck dissection and a total thyroidectomy (thyroid removal) March 5th. Radioactive iodine therapy followed in May 2018. Side-effects of radioactive iodine and thyroid surgery left Sam with bilateral vocal cord paralysis and difficulty breathing. He subsequently had 2 more surgeries on his vocal fold to help his breathing, but they were not as successful as hoped. In December 2018 an ultrasound showed a new suspicious lymph node, the biopsy came back as cancer and he was referred back to Mayo. Sam’s doctors placed a tracheostomy tube in his airway to alleviate his breathing on January 22, Sam is currently recovering from that operation. Sam will need another surgery in the future to remove the cancer and additional tests will be performed to make sure the cancer has not spread. Despite all of this, Sam is hoping to return to work as soon as possible.
If you have seen Sam lately you have noticed his difficulties to speak. Despite his paralyzed vocal cords and trouble breathing this amazing man still makes sure to say hi and ask how YOU are doing; and there is ALWAYS a smile on his face.
Over the past year Sam has had to be out of work multiple times for doctor’s appointments, treatments and surgeries. The financial strain a major illness causes can be overwhelming, in addition to the physical and emotional strains. The stress of finances can take away from what Sam should really be focusing on, himself and his family. Sam will not battle this alone. His wife and children will not battle this alone. We will battle with them.
Please donate what you can. Every dollar raised means less time Sam and his family have to worry about bills and more time just being a family. Let’s show the Storkson’s they are not alone in this fight.
Organizer and beneficiary
Shawn Mahaney
Organizer
Prior Lake, MN
Nichole Storkson
Beneficiary
