Big Love for Big E

Dear friends, family and kind hearted strangers:

We are reaching out to ask for your financial and spiritual support of the Elken family in their fight against an exceptionally rare and aggressive cancer.

As family friends for over twenty years, we have watched University of South Carolina student and rugby team member, Erik Elken, grow up. He earned the nickname of “Big E” quite young due to his physical size. Anyone who knows him can tell you that it also captures the scale of his spirit, kindness and maturity. To describe him as a stellar young man is an understatement.

In late January, an MRI of a suspected hip labrum tear revealed a tumor in his femur and surrounding tissue. After flying home to Pennsylvania, and undergoing extensive tests, scans, biopsies, and DNA testing, he has been diagnosed with an extremely rare, stage 4 NUT sarcoma. It is so rare that many hospitals do not have the ability to make an accurate diagnosis. Thankfully, the team at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, in coordination with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, has identified both the type of cancer and various treatment strategies since there is no set protocol.

Given the complexity and uniqueness of Erik's diagnosis, his doctors have submitted his case to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston for potential inclusion in a clinical trial. If accepted, they will be driving there next week to meet with doctors. We will keep this page updated as we learn more.

Erik’s mom, Leslie, is thankful for her insurance coverage but has already encountered numerous costs not covered. For example, she has made some physical changes to her home because Erik must use crutches to protect his femur from a potential fracture. In addition, it is a challenge to provide the appropriate anti-cancer, Keto meal plan which has been recommended. Using a meal service to ensure that his diet is nutritionally and calorically correct would be extremely helpful.

Your generous donations will ensure that Leslie can obtain the best medical treatment and supplemental care possible for Erik.

As both a collegiate athlete and a young man of great faith, Erik is buoyed by the knowledge that he has both an earthly and heavenly team on his side. His positive attitude and acceptance of whatever God’s plan is for him inspires everyone he encounters. Please pray for Erik and his family and pray BIG!

If you have ever seen a rugby game, you may be familiar with a scrum, which involves teammates binding together tightly and pushing against the other team for possession of the ball. With your financial and spiritual help, we can build a tight and powerful scrum around Erik and score a victory against cancer.