Scott's Cancer Treatment
Donation protected
A letter from Scott and Anne:
Hi everyone!
I’ve started writing and started over several times, but I’m realizing that no words will be adequate to express our appreciation for what everyone has done for me and my family.
When my oncologist told us that our best hope is flying to Switzerland for treatment, we decided to say yes without knowing how we would pull it off. It almost reminds me of the “trust fall,” where you fall backwards and believe that someone will be back there to catch you. In this case, our family, friends and a lot of people who we don’t even know not only caught us, but lifted us up more than we can believe.
The amount of funds raised in a matter of hours and days was stunning. I never would have believed that we’d have this kind of response, especially after many of you have already given to us in the past.
It seems like every day on every television channel and every internet story, we are told how divided we are in this country for a variety of reasons. To me - this has been the ultimate reminder that people really are good. A large community that is united by compassion and kindness has lifted us up when we needed it the most. A community, by the way, made up of people in many states, several countries, men and women, straight and gay, Republicans and Democrats, young and old, etc. It will be impossible for us to ever thank this community of kindness in a way that feels like enough. But from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate what each one of you has done for us. Whether it was a donation, sending us a dinner, saying a prayer, giving a hug on a tough day, or just being a friend, this community has meant everything to us - and I thank you. We will do our very best to pay your kindness forward in as many ways as we can in the future.
So here we are - in Switzerland. I will be admitted into the hospital tomorrow morning, and will stay until Thursday. I want this treatment to be successful for the obvious reasons, but I also feel some strange pressure to make all of your support worth it. I know that’s a little crazy, but I don’t want to let everyone down. Once I’m injected with the isotope, I will literally be radioactive. Nobody (including Anne) will be able to be around me for a day and a half. People experience a wide range of side effects, so I’m not sure what to expect.
I’m both excited about the treatment and also already nervous about the future results. We will keep you posted on how it goes.
Thanks again and I love you all!
-Scott
UPDATE:
**Thanks to your generosity, we were able to meet our initial goal in less than a day!! Since the interest in helping has been so high, we will continue and any additional funds will go towards Scott’s second and third treatments that will come to a total of $36,000. We are overwhelmed by the response and I know that Scott and Anne are as well. **
Our brother Scott continues his courageous battle with cancer. With his wife Anne and son Alec by his side, he has fought every day. His best option for treatment at this point takes them to Switzerland. We are hoping to raise enough to help him pay for his first treatment and anything additional will go toward subsequent treatments (he has to go 3 times). We want them to be able to focus on getting the best treatment he can and enjoying every day without worrying about medical and traveling costs. When we approached Scott about additional fundraising, he finally agreed but only if we would add a personal letter to you all. We have attached the letter below. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. As a family, we appreciate all your support.
Renee & Michelle
Hi Friends and Family,
First, we want to thank all of you who have offered to set up a fundraising site for us. We have agreed to let my sisters create one, but felt like we needed to tell everyone why.
Since my diagnosis, we have gotten so much support. People have set up fundraisers for us over the last few years. There were times when we thought we had been given way too much and would eventually need to donate it to a non-profit. However, this journey turned out to be more challenging (and more expensive) than we realized. Our eyes are now wide-open to healthcare in America, and people with rare diseases are really in a tough spot.
Luckily, we have you. Trust me, without you all I might not be here today. And if I were, we certainly would not still be living in our house or be able to send Alec to daycare. We cannot thank everyone enough for all of the prayers and support. We absolutely could not do it without you.
Up until now I have been able to see the best specialists in the country at MD Anderson in Texas and James Cancer Center in Ohio. I have tried several clinical trials, but the cancer has continued to act very aggressively. All of the specialists agree that my best chance now is a full body radiation procedure called PRRT. It is an amazing treatment that can target all of the bone tumors in my body (I have many, many of them now). It has been approved by the FDA for the more common types of neuroendocrine cancers, but not for mine. Since insurance does not cover anything not approved by the FDA – we’re out of luck. Believe it or not, it is less expensive to go to another country and pay out of pocket for the procedure than it is to get it here at the hospital in Pittsburgh without help from insurance.
We have made the decision to go to Basel, Switzerland to get the first round of PRRT. The first treatment alone will be $12,000 (there are 3 treatments overall, 10 weeks apart), and there will obviously be significant travel expenses. The cost is high, and it was not an easy decision for me, but I feel like no matter what happens, Alec has to know that I did everything that I possibly could to spend more time with him. And besides, I haven’t given up yet. And I don’t plan on it.
We want you to know that you have already done your part. Nobody should feel like they need to contribute again. We love you all so much for everything that you have already done and nothing will change that. We agreed to this because many are asking what else they can do, and honestly – we need some help. Not counting the trip(s) overseas, the costs of endless appointments, prescriptions and travel add up quickly. It has been very humbling to go from a life where we never had to worry about finances, to a place where we have to admit that we can’t do it on our own. We can only say that your thoughts, prayers, kindness and support have meant everything to us and we’ll do everything that we can to pay it forward when we are able.
Love,
Scott, Anne & Alec
Hi everyone!
I’ve started writing and started over several times, but I’m realizing that no words will be adequate to express our appreciation for what everyone has done for me and my family.
When my oncologist told us that our best hope is flying to Switzerland for treatment, we decided to say yes without knowing how we would pull it off. It almost reminds me of the “trust fall,” where you fall backwards and believe that someone will be back there to catch you. In this case, our family, friends and a lot of people who we don’t even know not only caught us, but lifted us up more than we can believe.
The amount of funds raised in a matter of hours and days was stunning. I never would have believed that we’d have this kind of response, especially after many of you have already given to us in the past.
It seems like every day on every television channel and every internet story, we are told how divided we are in this country for a variety of reasons. To me - this has been the ultimate reminder that people really are good. A large community that is united by compassion and kindness has lifted us up when we needed it the most. A community, by the way, made up of people in many states, several countries, men and women, straight and gay, Republicans and Democrats, young and old, etc. It will be impossible for us to ever thank this community of kindness in a way that feels like enough. But from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate what each one of you has done for us. Whether it was a donation, sending us a dinner, saying a prayer, giving a hug on a tough day, or just being a friend, this community has meant everything to us - and I thank you. We will do our very best to pay your kindness forward in as many ways as we can in the future.
So here we are - in Switzerland. I will be admitted into the hospital tomorrow morning, and will stay until Thursday. I want this treatment to be successful for the obvious reasons, but I also feel some strange pressure to make all of your support worth it. I know that’s a little crazy, but I don’t want to let everyone down. Once I’m injected with the isotope, I will literally be radioactive. Nobody (including Anne) will be able to be around me for a day and a half. People experience a wide range of side effects, so I’m not sure what to expect.
I’m both excited about the treatment and also already nervous about the future results. We will keep you posted on how it goes.
Thanks again and I love you all!
-Scott
UPDATE:
**Thanks to your generosity, we were able to meet our initial goal in less than a day!! Since the interest in helping has been so high, we will continue and any additional funds will go towards Scott’s second and third treatments that will come to a total of $36,000. We are overwhelmed by the response and I know that Scott and Anne are as well. **
Our brother Scott continues his courageous battle with cancer. With his wife Anne and son Alec by his side, he has fought every day. His best option for treatment at this point takes them to Switzerland. We are hoping to raise enough to help him pay for his first treatment and anything additional will go toward subsequent treatments (he has to go 3 times). We want them to be able to focus on getting the best treatment he can and enjoying every day without worrying about medical and traveling costs. When we approached Scott about additional fundraising, he finally agreed but only if we would add a personal letter to you all. We have attached the letter below. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. As a family, we appreciate all your support.
Renee & Michelle
Hi Friends and Family,
First, we want to thank all of you who have offered to set up a fundraising site for us. We have agreed to let my sisters create one, but felt like we needed to tell everyone why.
Since my diagnosis, we have gotten so much support. People have set up fundraisers for us over the last few years. There were times when we thought we had been given way too much and would eventually need to donate it to a non-profit. However, this journey turned out to be more challenging (and more expensive) than we realized. Our eyes are now wide-open to healthcare in America, and people with rare diseases are really in a tough spot.
Luckily, we have you. Trust me, without you all I might not be here today. And if I were, we certainly would not still be living in our house or be able to send Alec to daycare. We cannot thank everyone enough for all of the prayers and support. We absolutely could not do it without you.
Up until now I have been able to see the best specialists in the country at MD Anderson in Texas and James Cancer Center in Ohio. I have tried several clinical trials, but the cancer has continued to act very aggressively. All of the specialists agree that my best chance now is a full body radiation procedure called PRRT. It is an amazing treatment that can target all of the bone tumors in my body (I have many, many of them now). It has been approved by the FDA for the more common types of neuroendocrine cancers, but not for mine. Since insurance does not cover anything not approved by the FDA – we’re out of luck. Believe it or not, it is less expensive to go to another country and pay out of pocket for the procedure than it is to get it here at the hospital in Pittsburgh without help from insurance.
We have made the decision to go to Basel, Switzerland to get the first round of PRRT. The first treatment alone will be $12,000 (there are 3 treatments overall, 10 weeks apart), and there will obviously be significant travel expenses. The cost is high, and it was not an easy decision for me, but I feel like no matter what happens, Alec has to know that I did everything that I possibly could to spend more time with him. And besides, I haven’t given up yet. And I don’t plan on it.
We want you to know that you have already done your part. Nobody should feel like they need to contribute again. We love you all so much for everything that you have already done and nothing will change that. We agreed to this because many are asking what else they can do, and honestly – we need some help. Not counting the trip(s) overseas, the costs of endless appointments, prescriptions and travel add up quickly. It has been very humbling to go from a life where we never had to worry about finances, to a place where we have to admit that we can’t do it on our own. We can only say that your thoughts, prayers, kindness and support have meant everything to us and we’ll do everything that we can to pay it forward when we are able.
Love,
Scott, Anne & Alec
Organizer and beneficiary
Renee Marie
Organizer
Allison Park, PA
Anne Sutton
Beneficiary
