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<div>Once again, we are asking for help for <strong>Dan Huffman and his family</strong> as they face another devastating diagnosis.
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<div>As a result of the accident in March that Dan is still trying to heal from, several x-rays and scans were done, which unfortunately and fortunately, uncovered a kidney mass that would have otherwise probably not been found. As it turns out, the tumor located in his kidney was suspicious for cancer. After meeting with a urologist in Duluth to discuss next steps to remove the mass, Tracy and Dan requested a second opinion at Mayo Clinic. <strong>After meeting with the specialist at Mayo Clinic and having more scans and biopsies done, it was discovered that there were actually two masses in the kidney, one mass in the lung, as well as a mediastinal thymoma mass, these are not metastatic, they are separate cancers. </strong>There will be several more appointments occurring at Mayo Clinic starting with a pet scan next week to investigate things further and to get his surgeries and ongoing treatments scheduled.
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<div><strong>The need for Tracy's continued leave from work in order to care for Dan and to bring him to his many appointments (as he is still unable to drive), as well as taking care of the children and household has increased immensely.</strong> The family is already having to pay out-of-pocket to continue the health insurance through Tracy's employer, as well as pay for hotel stays for Dan's care, which is only going to become more and more expensive with traveling to and from Mayo Clinic, in addition to the day-to-day living expenses with both Dan and Tracy being out of work. The financial hardships will continue to mount in the months to come and Tracy needs to be there with Dan and their family.
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<div>if you can find it in your heart to help them again by either matching your previous donation or giving anything you can to help this family in serious financial need, please help.
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Support Dan Huffman's Newest Fight Against Cancer

<div><strong>Tiny but Mighty: Sean's Early Arrival</strong>

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<div>Hello world! I'm Sean Isaiah O'Connor, and I decided to make my grand debut a little early – at just 27 weeks! Weighing in at a petite 2.7 lbs and measuring a mere 14.5 inches, I'm a preemie warrior currently hanging out in the Essentia Health NICU, getting ready for my real debut.

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<div>It's pretty bright and beepy in here, but the nurses and doctors are super nice and take good care of me. I'm working hard on breathing, eating, and growing – all the important stuff! I'm told I'm a fighter, just like my mom and dad.

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<div>My early arrival means my family is facing some unexpected expenses. My NICU stay, special medicine, and 24/7 care add up faster than I can drink my tiny bottle of milk. 

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<div>My parents (Christian and Alani O'Connor) want to be by my side as much as possible, but they also need to work to keep everything afloat.

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<div>That’s where you amazing people come in! Any amount you can donate, big or small, would be a huge help to my family and me.  The money will go towards my NICU expenses, any medical equipment I'll need at home, and will allow my parents to spend precious time with me while I grow stronger.

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<div>Even if you can't donate, sending thoughts and prayers and sharing my story would be incredible! I can feel all the love, prayers and support, and it gives me extra strength to keep fighting.

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<div>I'll keep you updated on my progress as I level up my health and get ready to take on the world! Thank you for being a part of my journey.

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<div>Lots of love (and teeny tiny baby snuggles!),

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<div>Sean Isaiah O'Connor

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<div><strong>Mommy and Daddy say, we are so grateful for any support you can offer. Thank you for being a part of Sean's journey!</strong>

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Support Sean Isaiah O'Connor's NICU Journey

<div>Dale was diagnosed with HPV cancer of the right tonsil in October of 2021. He started Chemotherapy instead of Radiation because of two spots on his lung. After that series of Chemotherapy the PET scan showed the spots on the lungs were gone. In June of 2022 he started a daily Radiation treatment with Chemotherapy once a week. This worked and Dale was Cancer free.
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<div>In the beginning of this year Dale's throat started getting sore and he would cough everytime he ate. After having his yearly physical the ENT doctor ordered a biopsy which was done February 14th. The cancer was back and they found a tumor at the base of his tongue on the right side. He was then referred to the University of Minnesota Fairview ENT specialists to try and remove the tumor and affected tissues. Surgery was on May 9th. What was supposed to be a three day trip turned into 37 days due to multiple setbacks. First at Hope Lodge Minneapolis and then back to Fairview Hospital. He finally made it home to Duluth but was admitted to Miller Dwan for therapy. He lost his ability to swollow without aspirating and lost more than ten pounds so he will need to learn to swallow again and build up enough strength to walk. On July 6th, Dale experienced significant bleeding in his throat due to an aneurism that burst so his therapy has been delayed yet again.
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<div>Needless to say, these setbacks have made it difficult for his wife, Tonya, to return to work so the income stream has been seriously impacted. We are hoping to help them catch up with their monthly bills and provide a small cushion to allow Tonya to continue to care for Dale when he is able to return home.
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<div>If you made it this far, thank you. If you are able to throw in a dollar or two it would be greatly appreciated - it all adds up. If you aren't able to contribute, A SHARE WOULD MEAN SO MUCH.
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Stand with Dale in His Battle Against Cancer

<div>Hi, my name is Shelley, Sherm’s wife. In the summer of 2022, after months of doctor visits, bloodwork, MRIs, CTs, and a bone marrow biopsy, Sherm received devastating news: he has an extremely rare disorder, <em>Corticobasal ganglionic degeneration.  </em>There is no cure. 
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<div>Current out-of-pocket medical expenses are in excess of $10,000. This will continue to mount with ongoing doctors’ appointments, pain medication, and physical therapy. 
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Help Sherm’s Quality of Life

Pam is loved by friends and family across the country and around the world. Her support system is vast and beautiful, and has kept her going through some difficult times. <br /><br />After beating breast cancer several years ago, we thought she was in the clear. But a diagnosis in June proved otherwise.

After months of tests and trials, we learned that her cancer has come back as Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer, meaning the breast cancer has spread to other areas of her body. <br /><br />As of now there is no cure, treatments and hospital visits will forever be a part of Pam’s everyday life.

The tests and treatments and medications Pam is receiving are all prescribed for the purpose of extending life and alleviating pain or side effects. Pam will be receiving this care daily for the rest of her life, and the bills for these medications and tests will be part of her daily life, too. <br /><br />The hospital has already had Pam fill out paperwork that would qualify her for what is essentially a loan to be used if an expense would be more that’s what she could handle at the time medication or tests were needed.
<br /><br />Contributions to Pam’s Go Fund Me will help her pay for these huge medical costs, and in turn, relieve a good amount of stress that accompanies these bills. As is true with those diagnosed with a terminal illness, keeping her life as stress free as possible is a medically prescribed technique.
<br /><br />Pam’s strength and optimism are unmatched, as her friends and family have all seen when following her journey. She posts honest, heartfelt stories about her journey that have helped bring awareness to what this diagnosis can mean and feel like. 

And as she’s told the stories of tests and treatments, she’s learned to ask for love and prayers from those around her. <br /><br />A true fighter, a powerful woman full of grace and strength, a bright eyed, loving wife,
mom, grandma, neighbor, coach, advocate, and friend. <br /><br />Always the giver, she’s struggled to ask for help- but as she’s now faced with a slew of medical bills and treatments and diagnostic tests that are not always covered by health insurance, we feel now is the right time to do so. 

<br /><br />So with an open heart, we ask that anyone who is able to donate, please do. The funds will go entirely to her cancer treatment so that she may continue to receive the best care as she navigates the path she’s been sent on.

We thank you for your continued love and support. <br /><br />As a sweet friend recently shared, “a little bit from a few can make all the difference in the world.” Thank you for making a difference in our mom’s world, and in turn, ours, Dale’s, her grandsons’, and everyone’s who knows and loves her.<br /><br />All our love,
<br />Ben and Anika (Annie)



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Join Pam’s Fight Against Stage 4 Cancer

As we prepare to lay Ben to rest. We realize the cost goes up with the amount of people getting ready to attend. Help me Help Ben’s family afford to lay him to rest. Ben was an amazing man and deserves a huge celebration of his life. His family has been working hard to piece everything together but I would like to ask for help from anyone else. Just to ease their minds a little and to provide them with the things they are going to need.

All the proceeds donated will be transferred directly to me and turned into a check for Ben’s mother Angie Johnson. With the money we will use almost half for a nice headstone for Ben at his grave site. For the remainder of the donations Ben’s mother would like to open up a foundation of some kind that will keep Ben Zazyay’s name alive. A way to continue to help others as Ben always did.

Ben Zayzay’s Funeral funds

<img class="not-resizable" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/22331518_1500319853.4261_funddescription.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Before you start reading this I want you to know this isn't a story about cancer....this is a love story.  <br /><br />I remember the day that my carefree single brother came home (he lived with my husband and I) and was very upset and started to cry telling me about a girl...I don't remember exactly what the scenario was, but I do remember that I knew at that moment he was in love. It wasn't too much later that I gained a funny, happy all the time, loved to have fun, caring, kind, beautiful like a sunny day, sister in law on June 28, 2003.  <br /><br />Aaron worked hard wherever he was at, always knowing he wanted to provide for his wife and future kids.   They were always frugle and tried to make the best financial decisions so they could have their dream of a big family and Kathryn could be at home to raise their kids.  They both made many sacrifices to make that happen.<br /><br />And wouldn't you know....along came Evangelyn (age 12) Arianna (age 10) Alexander (age 7) and Elias (age 3). Kathryn has always been a stay at home mom and one of the best!  I could go on and on about that, but let me just give you some highlights; she homeschools and her kids are SMART and creative, they eat organic and healthy, they ALL do chores like sweeping, mopping, dishes, folding laundry, music lessons, outdoor activities<br />, NO TV (what ?!?!) very involved in church and love God.  <br /><br />Aaron and Kathryn love being parents together and love family and love each other.  Family is so important and brings them so much joy.  They just celebrated 14 years of happily ever after!<br /><br />Now to the ugly....the part where cancer is stealing away parts of this love story. <br /><br />A little over a year ago they both were so excited to announce baby number 5 was on the way!  But just a few weeks after that we were asked to pray for Kathryn because she had a cough that just didn't want to go away and something didn't seem right.  I am going to skip the details but it ended up being lung cancer in an otherwise perfectly healthy, active, young woman, in her mid-thirties who had never touched a cigarette in her life.<br /><br />Not only having to start the fight of their lives, a huge heartbreak to Aaron and Kathryn was baby Isaac being born into heaven on June 21, 2016.<br /><br />Her cancer in one with a genetic mutation<br /> so her treatment was in the form of targeted therapy.  (not chemo or radiation)  So to make a long story shorter, over the last year they have gone through all of the approved drugs for her cancer without the results hoped for, she has had several surgeries, fractured a hip because of cancer in the bone, tried chemo without results and the cancer is basically reaching into all areas of her body.   <br /><br />As of today, there is no treatment in place and her pain is off the charts.  They have been desperately<br /> trying to keep her comfortable and find a good balance of pain meds to do so.  Regarding treatment, the only one left to try is in trial.  Pfizer wants her to be in the trial which is good but the problem is that Mayo is not one of the facilities in the trial.   (Which is where she has been getting her treatment)  They will work on getting in, but that will take at least three weeks, if not more. She can't wait that long so they have called Dr. Shaw in Boston, who is one of the two leading experts on Non Small Cell Lung Cancer with the ALK mutation. Her facility is one of the primary facilities in the trial.   They are waiting to hear from this doctor and have several messages in.  If for some reason she cannot get in the trial, they would try to get the drug on their own and pay for it out of pocket. Her previous targeted therapies were in the $15,000/month range. I would assume this one would be at least that, if not closer to $20,000 since it is still in trial.<br /> <br />As you can imagine this has taken quite a toll on the family over the last year emotionally, physically and financially.  So far they have been doing ok with the help of family and they certainly DO NOT like to ask for help  But going forward this is only going to get harder especially if they are going to have to pay out of pocket for the treatment that is in the trial stage.<br /><br />You can follow in more detail at their Caring Bridge site:<br /><a href="https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kathrynhill2"><a href="https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kathrynhill2" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kathrynhill2</a><br /></a><br />I know we all struggle, but if you feel led to skip a meal out or sell something that is sitting in the garage you aren't using or just give from a little surplus blessing that has come your way, I know that there is no more a humble, deserving family as this one.  <br /><br />No matter how this story ends....it will never be a story about cancer......it will always be a story about love.

Caring for Kathryn

Callie Bush

<div>Van is an active, athletic teenager and has always been a relaxed and easygoing kid. So much so, in fact, that he never complained about his back hurting. It wasn't until a few months ago that we realized he was suffering from scoliosis so severe he needs surgical correction. His surgery is scheduled for March 31.
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<div>Fortunately, Van can have Vertebral Body Tethering (VBT) which is a less invasive procedure than spine fusion. VBT maintains his range of motion and allows him to continue fully participating in the activities he loves - volleyball and basketball, in particular. But, VBT relies on continued growth of the spine. Surgery needs to happen right away before Van stops growing.
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<div>Unfortunately, insurance will not cover any surgical treatments for scoliosis and the entire bill must be paid before Van is released from the hospital. In addition to no insurance coverage, we have to take unpaid leave from work to stay with Van during his recovery. As difficult as it is for us, we feel we have no choice but to ask others for help.
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<div>The surgery is expected to cost about $75,000 USD. Our savings has been significantly reduced due to helping our daughter through her breast cancer treatments and other needs of our family the past year. We have some money in savings but not enough to cover the cost of Van's surgery and follow-up care. We appreciate any and all help and will keep you updated through Van's surgery and recovery.
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<div>Thank you for your kindness and support.
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<div>Update: 
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<div>Van had his pre-op appointment March 14. 
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<div>After they measured his height, Van said, “I shrunk.” 
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<div>He hasn’t shrunk, but his curve has gotten noticeably worse since his x-rays in November. Because of that, his surgery will be extended to an additional vertebrae - now tethering T9 to L3. I’m glad we are able to go ahead with surgery before it gets even worse!
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<div>We are grateful for the incredible kindness and support we’ve been shown through this ordeal.
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<div>Thank you for helping Van get the treatment he needs! 
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