David Sahr Medical Expenses

This is a story about Dave and Becky Sahr. Married since 1975, they are each other’s best friend. Dave retired from his work as a commercial painting contractor in the past few years, and Becky retired from over 36 years of public school teaching in 2009. On a fixed income, they are loving their gardens, their cooking and their trio of house cats. But now Dave is in trouble, and Becky needs our help.

Chordoma. Never knew anybody that had it. Hell, I never even had heard of it. It’s, a REALLY RARE bone cancer, and Dave has a massive chordoma tumor on the base of his spine which is growing unchecked.

Imagine a full-size head of cauliflower made of concrete. That’s what is growing on Dave’s lowest vertebrae (sacrum), and there are several metasteses gaining size on other parts of his spine. Chordoma is actually a birth-defect; remnants of fetal spinal tissue that for some reason explode into bony matter later in life.

They never saw it coming. But in November 2015, after four years of increasing discomfort, misdiagnosis by different doctors, and finally a light bulb going on, oncologists at Ohio State’s James Cancer Hospital have determined that his symptoms, his MRI scans, and various biopsies all confirm it’s Chordoma. It’s growing on his tailbone, growing through parts of abdominal organs and nerves, and upwards along his backbone.

The kicker is, there is no chemotherapy available to destroy chordoma. Classic radiation will only slow down its growth. Dave’s singular hope for relief from the pain, and for extending his life, is Proton Beam Therapy – highly concentrated, pin-point radiation that is done in only a few places in the United States. Ohio State oncologists have a working relationship with the chordoma team at Massachussetts General Hospital (affiliated with Harvard University) so that’s where this scene is shifting.

Getting Dave to Boston, and to take care of lodging for Becky while he’s there, will create a mountain of debt. Doctors at Harvard have reviewed his files and state that Dave’s is a highly complex case. It will involve many trips to and from their Boston clinic, with several extended stays. Insurance may well be “out-of-network” and we have no idea how that will all work out. But we know there will be airfare, hotel bills, taxi fares, living expenses, and co-pays for medications that will stress their budget.

If you were in construction with Dave, if you hunted or boated with him, pass the word around to your friends. If Becky taught your kids, taught in the classroom next to yours, or taught you; or if she shared a fitness class with you, or a graduate course, share this post. She estimates she has taught over 4,000 students in Westerville Public Schools over her career.

I am asking you to help me raise $20,000 for these generous, but sincerely stressed folks. They are like deer caught in the headlights. Knowing that they will be financially assisted will be one less worry for Becky. Please find Becky on Facebook, under her maiden name BECKY HARTUNG. If you want to send cards, letters, or donations directly to Becky and David Sahr, please private message her on FB and she will share her home address.

When you donate, your funds go into an account that only Becky can access, and you can be assured she will be a very frugal, good steward of this account – it’s all for David. And David is ALL to Becky.

I am a longtime friend of them both. Our families have vacationed together over the years. We met when Becky taught both my kids at Cherrington, and then David has painted some of three of our homes over the years. Now I am honored to be an advocate for them. I thank you, in advance,  for anything you might contribute.