| Jack Giniel |
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Jack battled a rare and aggressive form of cancer. This cancer was found in the form of a tumor on Jack’s head after he began having headaches. During much of 2006 he had been through numerous surgeries, chemo treatments and a misdiagnosis. On September 7, 2006, one third of Jack’s skull was removed and doctors were still unable to remove all of the cancer. Jack lost his battle with cancer on Saturday November 11, 2006. Our foundation became involved in a number of different projects that provided help to Jack’s family. Jack helped many of us realize that he was not alone in his battle. Jack’s mother, Coleen has accepted a board position and is very active with our foundation and it is in Jack’s memory that we strive to give children who suffer from pediatric cancer, who have the same wants and the same wishes as healthy children, a moment during their courageous battle when they can forget their illness and enjoy just being a child. To learn more about Jack click here. |
| Sam Mills |
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Sam was diagnosed with a grade 3 baseball-sized tumor in October of 2002. The tumor continued to grow at a rapid pace and was upgraded to a Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive form of brain cancer there is. Through the help of alternative treatments Sam’s tumor shrunk significantly and he experienced far fewer seizures. He was happy and had no side effects from the treatments. Eventually the cancer began to come back in a more aggressive form and Sam developed pneumonia over the summer of this past year. Sam progressively got worse and earned his angel wings on Wednesday September 13, 2006. Sam’s parents, Joe and Sherry, exhausted all of their financial means in battling Sam’s illness. On Friday September 15, 2006 a grant was awarded that paid for all of Sam’s funeral expenses. |
| Kate Hrischuk |
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After years of trying to have children, Colleen and Brian Hrischuk of Rochester Hills Michigan were excited to learn they were having twins (Kate and Erik). Their life became a happy whirlwind of cartoons and play dates—and then their world turned upside-down.
"Kate was having headaches that were very alarming," says Colleen. "She would cry and scream of pain, and then she would be okay." The doctor conducted tests but found nothing. When the headaches became more severe and frequent, Colleen asked that Kate undergo an MRI. "I knew at that point it wasn't good," she says. Kate's doctors diagnosed brain stem glioma, and held out little hope for her. Kate and her family never gave up hope. Kate fought the beast like a warrior, but lost her battle on Saturday January 27, 2007. On December 21, 2006 a grant was awarded to the Hrischuk family to help offset the rising medical expenses and other financial strains that were brought on by Kate’s diagnosis.
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| Joyce Metcalf |
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Joyce Metcalf was born on December 4, 2003 to Charlotte Metcalf and Geno Clarke, Sr. She was diagnosed with cerebellar astrocytoma, which is a form of brain cancer at the age of 2. We were introduced to the Metcalf family in early December 2006 through our relationship with Erin Drallos of Footprints Photography ©. n. Through the generosity of many of our supporters we were able to provide a wonderful Christmas for Charlotte and her children. Unfortunately Joyce lost her battle to cancer on December 28, 2006. A grant was awarded to Charlotte on January 2, 2007 to help pay for Joyce’s funeral expenses. |
| Danalee Herman |
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On Tuesday May 1, 2007 a scholarship grant was awarded to the Herman family of Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. Gary and Danalee have 3 children, Spencer, age 17, Nick, age 14 and Ciara, age 10. Nick and Ciara attend St. Joan of Arc Catholic Elementary School in St. Clair Shores. Danalee lost her 2 year battle with lung cancer on Thursday May 24, 2007. Danalee’s diagnosis had been life altering for this family in many ways: emotionally, physically and financially. This scholarship grant will pay the tuition in full for Ciara for the upcoming 2007-2008 school year. |
A Day of Fun |
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Kurtis Mitchell is 10 years old and is from Richmond, Michigan where he lives with his brother and his mother, Tonia. Two years ago Kurtis was diagnosed with testicular cancer at age 8, which is a very rare cancer for a child. The initial diagnosis was believed to be isolated to this area, but Kurtis was later diagnosed with Demoplastic Small Round Cancer. His cancer is extensive in his pelvic region and in the stomach. He has difficulty walking because of this. He has been to Children’s Hospital of Michigan. St. Jude’s and the Mayo Clinic in hopes of additional beneficial treatments. With a difficult prognosis, Kurtis needs all of our thoughts and prayers. On April 20, 2006 Kurtis and his family were guests of Damien and Nicole Woody at the Lions practice facility. Kurtis spent 2 hours watching the Lions practice and was able to spend time with many of the players. Kurtis received Dominic Raiola’s gloves, a football from Damien Woody signed by the team and a pair of shoes from Barry Stokes that was signed by many of the players.
UPDATE: Kurtis lost his battle with cancer on Sunday July 2, 2006. |
A Mother's Hope |
Debbie Dubay has been treated at Karmanos Cancer Center for stage 4 breast cancer since 1995. She had done fairly well until last year when she had a recurrence with lung metastasis. She did not respond well to chemo and her health has been declining. She has subsequently been referred to trial study treatments with mixed results.Debbie has 2 wonderful boys Eric age 12 and Dylan age 10. She is devoted to her children. She is a great mother who has sacrificed immensely to give them a good life. Due to the progression of her cancer she has been unable to work and has no income. On Friday February 10, 2006 a grant was awarded to Debbie. This grant provided her and the boys much needed relief. Recently we received a letter from Debbie and it can be read here.
UPDATE: Debbie lost her battle with cancer in June of 2007. |
Waterford Family Loses Their Matriach |
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Renee Mason, age 37 lost her battle with breast cancer on December 3rd of this year. She leaves behind a loving husband and 3 wonderful boys Austin, Alex and Andrew. Her husband, Alfred, took care of her around the clock the last few months. He left his job through the family medical leave act and will be returning to work after the first of the year. Renee’s breast cancer was advanced with metastatic disease to the liver, brain and bone. The combination of the extreme disease process and the loss of employment income has been devastating to this young family, all the while trying to maintain some degree of routine for all involved.
On December 12, 2005 a grant was awarded to the Mason family. This grant, which was desperately needed, provided some immediate financial relief. Through this award we were able to help Alfred get caught up with his mortgage payments, as well as providing the means for Alfred to give his boys the Christmas that they so deserve. |
Help is Provided for Grieving Parents |
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Justin Hermanson was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer, at the age of 10 Justin had the tumor removed and underwent chemo therapy and radiation for 1 ½ years. His treatments ended on his 12th birthday, February 18, 2004. Justin had just started to get back to feeling normal again when after a follow up visit on September 18, 2004 he and his parents were informed that the cancer had returned and mastisized. Justin would return to treatments, but progressively got worse. The cancer eventually spread to Justin’s spine which caused severe discomfort and began to cause equilibrium challenges. Paul and Sue Hermanson lost Justin shortly thereafter in December of 2004. Paul took an unpaid leave of absence through the family medical leave act to be with Justin the last 3 months he was alive. Unfortunately this caused great financial hardship for Paul and his family. Paul & Sue have two other young boys. The family had only been able to pay a small portion of the funeral while trying to balance the finances. On February 27, 2005 we awarded the Hermanson family a grant in the full amount of the balance for Justin’s funeral. This gives us great pride to help Paul and Sue bring some closure to this constant reminder of their loss. Recently we received a letter from Paul it can be read here. |
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