In early March 2024, my step-dad, Scott Lyngaas, had a sudden onset of debilitating symptoms including fatigue and shortness of breath. CT scans showed a mass on his left lung. Five days later, his symptoms led him to be hospitalized where they removed over a liter of fluids from in and around his lungs, and performed a biopsy. We were given the challenging news prior to the official results that the oncologist was certain this was cancer. Aggressive cancer. On March 23, 2024, we received the official diagnosis: small cell carcinoma of the lung. By April 21, 2024, a PET scan showed the cancer metastasized into his bone. By May 5, 2024, Scott was back in the hospital where they drained another 1.7 liters of fluid and was no longer able to function without being attached to supplemental oxygen. Overnight test results informed us that the cancer had spread to the trachea and bronchus and was now considered “extensive stage”. The port was officially in and an aggressive course of chemotherapy began. The doctor let my mother know that this was a hail mary at best, but it’s the hail mary he’d recommend if his brother was in the same boat as her husband. Because this cancer is an aggressive illness. Without treatment, most people will die a few months after they are diagnosed. Less than 7% of people with small cell lung cancer are alive five years after diagnosis. With treatment, extensive small cell carcinoma has a median survival of 7 to 11 months. This aggressive and potentially life-saving treatment gave us hope, but it also came at a price that included Scott’s body deteriorating faster than expected and succumbing to multiple infections, including a MRSA infection that caused treatment to pause. It’s become clear to us that Scott is on borrowed time. There’s no other way to put it - my stepdad is dying. Through all of this, my family has come together to fight for a miracle. To fight for those five years, to fight to be the rare case of small cell carcinoma that sees not just a few months, but years. So many needed years. This is where we need your help. This is where you come in. Scott is the sole provider for the family and the primary caregiver of my disabled mother. Before this diagnosis, times were tight, but Scott is the type of person to always find a way to provide for his family. Right before this diagnosis, Scott received a life-changing opportunity to be a chef at a premiere establishment that would mean financial stability for my family, after decades of living paycheck to paycheck. You see, Scott is an amazing chef. He’s a man who lives with what might seem like simple goals, but they are beautiful goals: take care of his family, and take care of the community through food. No matter how little Scott and my mother have had over the years, they’ve always put others in front of themselves. Strangers in need would always have access to a meal. They’d forgo paying their bills to help someone else pay a bill. They embody the sentiment that sometimes those who give the most are the ones with the least to spare. Five months into this fight, and nearing the very first horrible milestone of survival rates, my family has exhausted their network of possible financial assistance. My mother has fought for grant after grant just to keep my family housed. My brother and younger sister have deferred college in order to work and support the family. I am working on longer-term solutions to ensure my mother and siblings are taken care of in the event the unimaginable happens. But we need help now. The money has run out and the bills are piling up. And these are just the monthly bills for keeping the family housed, the lights on, and food in the fridge. Once all is said and done, the medical bills will bankrupt my family. But right now, we need to focus on ensuring Scott and family stay housed, with utilities and food covered, as well as upfront payment of medical costs, as needed. We need to help Scott focus on fighting cancer instead of focusing on bills. The initial goal of $10,000 will assist Scott and family in covering basic needs for the next few months as we work on new potential grants and governmental assistance. If we can raise that initial $10,000, we’ll assess stretch goals and share updates on total out-of-pocket medical costs that Scott and family will likely need assistance with, as well. Scott, you’ve spent most of your life taking care of others, whether that was caring for my disabled mother, doing the best you can for your children, or feeding the community around you. Now it’s time for us to take care of you. Please HELP US as we fight to keep Scott alive, and keep my family housed. _______________________________________ YOU can help us do this! 1) GIVE whatever you can. No donation is too small. 2) SHARE on social media (#HelpScottFight) 3) EMAIL this page - LFEBridge.com/f/help-scott-fight-sclc - to your family + friends. _______________________________________ With all of my gratitude, Beth Nelson, Scott’s stepdaughter and biggest fan
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