Help Brian Vaughn Beat Prostate Cancer!

Sharon Marie Perez is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Brian Vaughn.

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Our friend Brian Vaughn is fighting another round of aggressive prostate cancer, and could use our help.

Brian is a father, a singer and a career music educator, now in his 33rd year in the classroom. His music-making has touched the lives of countless students over the years. Mr. Vaughn loves to tell stories of his former students in order to inspire the ones who are in his classroom today. It’s amazing how he remembers so much about them to share!

Brian’s Cancer Story--

Mr. Vaughn's cancer was found through regular checkups and testing during his annual physical. When there was an alarming jump in the PSA level from one checkup to the next, he went for more rigorous testing. Those tests (DRE, TRUS, biopsy, MRI, bone scan) revealed a highly-aggressive form of prostate cancer; most prostate cancers are very slow-growing. In May of 2019, Brian had a robotic radical prostatectomy in order to get the cancer out and retain his personal functions through nerve-sparing techniques. The doctors did a great job with the surgery, and after three months, Mr. Vaughn was on the road to recovery and the cancer was undetectable.

Unfortunately, the six months' post-op showed that the cancer had returned. There was a l-in-3 chance of recurrence within 5 years, but no one expected the crushing news that it was back so soon. Brian is now undergoing Androgen Deprivation Therapy to slow the growth of the cancer, leading up to 35 sessions of targeted radiation therapy later this Spring. The radiation oncologist has indicated an 80% chance of curing the cancer through these treatments.

Why Help Is Needed--

Employer-based insurance simply is not enough for catastrophic illnesses. Mr. Vaughn has a high-deductible plan with a Health Savings Account for himself and his two teenaged children, Erik and Marissa. Brian has exhausted the funds in two HSA accounts (he had one from a previous employer), and has depleted his modest savings, as well. It's time to face the music and admit that he can't do it alone.

How You Can Help--

Even the smallest donation of money will help pay those bills and dig the family out of the financial hole in which they find themselves. If you are personally connected with Mr. Vaughn, please share a story that will let others know what he has meant to you through making music together and the life lessons he has shared. Please help spread his story on social media to get the word out. If we all pull together, we can make this very difficult time easier on him and his family.