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Petrick Family Scholarship

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Local Family Needs You In Their Corner During Fight Against Cancer

When Tom Petrick’s wife Cathy was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2013, he and his family knew they had a long, difficult road ahead of them. With the support of their friends, co-workers, and extended families, the Petricks were able to weather the initial storm of medical bills, grim diagnoses, and the mounting responsibilities that accompany the treatment and management of a serious illness. Still, each day presents its challenges: tasks as simple of household chores and rides to school become choreographed productions; trips to the doctor produce stress and anxiety, require co-pays and deductibles, and necessitate coordination with babysitters. The family has persevered, adopting the fearless attitude Cathy has shown through her battle. Her motto- “We’ll manage; we always do.” For 3 years, they had done just that. However, everything changed in May 2016 and now both parents find themselves fighting the fiercest of enemies.

Residents of Northfield, NJ for over 20 years, the Petrick family has sent their four sons, Brian (35), Thomas (22), DJ (21) and Matthew (14) through the Northfield Community School system and Mainland Regional High School. This year their adopted daughter Danielle (5) begins kindergarten at NCS. While their involvement in the community has been stymied by their illnesses, the Petrick family remains loyal to their Atlantic County roots and eternally grateful to the friends, family and neighbors who’ve supported and befriended them over the years. But with heavy, humble hearts, they ask for your help.

A chef at Margaritaville Restaurant in Atlantic City, NJ, Tom works tirelessly to support his family and to ensure his health insurance can help offset the costs of Cathy’s care. In May of 2016, Tom took some family leave time off to care for Cathy but found himself suffering from a sore throat and painful swelling. When it did not subside, he visited the doctor and had some tests run. The diagnosis was Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease where damaged thyroid cells are attacked by the immune system. Symptoms of this illness include problems with metabolism, insomnia, depression/anxiety, and as in Tom’s case, lymphoma of the thyroid and GI region. During surgery to remove his thyroid, surgeons discovered and removed several cancerous lymphs- he has since been diagnosed with MALT lymphoma. While his prognosis is still unclear, the immediate emotional and financial stresses this puts the Petrick family under are obvious. Between missed work, double the co-pays, deductibles, lifetime and yearly insurance limits, and the responsibilities of having one kid in kindergarten and two in college, the pressure can be overwhelming.

Still, Cathy’s motto echoes loudly- “We’ll manage; we always do.”

In 2013, Catherine Petrick (Bowles) experienced severe but seemingly unrelated symptoms: painful bumps under the surface of her skin, digestion issues, chest pains, exhaustion and dizziness. Doctors were baffled as they treated each symptom individually, trying to rule out common illnesses. The bumps grew, her appetite shrank and her overall health declined. Cathy, ever selfless, continued working hard to support her family- for over 15 years she worked as a server at East Bay Crab & Grille in Egg Harbor Township. Beloved by her regular customers and co-workers, Cathy wore a brave smile and bolstered a positive attitude despite her health concerns. These friends and co-workers remain an integral part of Cathy’s support system today. For months, Cathy worked through the pain. Finally, in March 2013 doctors found their culprit- a rare form of cancer called Neuroendocrine Carcinoma. Affecting less than 2,000 people each year, this disease causes tumors to grow on and around glands in the endocrine system (thyroid, pineal & pituitary glands, pancreas, adrenal gland, etc). Her painful bumps were found to be tumors growing on lymph sites around her body. The decrease in appetite caused by Medullary thyroid cancer, a related disease. The exhaustion a result of a tumor on her adrenal gland. Still, Cathy has managed.

While malignant growths spread throughout her body, including to her lungs and brain, Cathy remains as active and positive as possible. Breathing is difficult. Headaches are constant. Painful tumors protrude from various sites around her body making it difficult to get comfortable, but the hardest part is surely not being able to hug and squeeze her husband, sons and daughter. Her strength in spite of these factors is nothing short of inspirational! She has endured 15 sessions of radiation therapy directed at shrinking the tumors deep in her brain. She has spent countless hours in hospitals and offices completing 10 courses of IV chemotherapy, cutting-edge immunotherapy, and innumerable x-rays, scans and blood tests. She has completed dozens of rounds of oral chemotherapy in an attempt to slow the growth of and shrink the most aggressive tumors. Though she has lost a considerable amount of weight, is in almost constant pain and is still waiting for her beautiful hair to grow back, she has not lost her sense of humor, her hope for a cure, or her motherly essence. As she sees her daughter Dani off to school in the morning one can see the same gleam in her eye that was there 30 years ago when she sent her first child to kindergarten.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma is treatable but a cure has not yet been found. Every day, oncologists and immunologists work to develop new treatments and the Petricks regularly visit the doctors at Penn University in hopes of testing one of these miracle cures. In the meantime, Cathy’s quality of life depends on her body’s ability to withstand the onslaught of chemotherapy and her mind’s ability to produce courage despite being outmatched by an undefeated opponent. Despite having insurance, the family incurs thousands of dollars in medical bills every month. The Petrick family needs you in their corner in order to win this fight.

Your support will alleviate some of the financial pressures of a family where both parents are undergoing treatment for cancer. The family is currently trying to meet an $8,000 insurance deductible so Cathy and Tom both can continue their treatments.
Your support will inspire hope in their 5 children that their mother and father will be around for another Thanksgiving, Christmas, and round of birthdays. Your support will provide a window of time during which a miracle cure might be developed. Your support, however big or small, will help.

Instead of- “We’ll manage”- let’s help this family say- “We will PREVAIL!”
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Donations 

  • Janet Murphy-Stott
    • $25 
    • 7 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Brian Bowles
Organizer
Northfield, NJ
Tom Petrick Sr.
Beneficiary

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