Donovan’s Fight Against Testicular Cancer

At 31 years old after over a year of intense lower back pain and severe swelling in his legs the doctors gave my husband of 13yrs and proud father of our three girls, the news no one wants to hear: testicular cancer.

—October 2023:

Donovan underwent surgery to remove the affected testicle and we hoped and prayed that was the end of the story.

Despite the bad news Donovan didn’t lose his smile or sense of humor.

But after recovering from surgery, the doctors said the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes in his abdomen and the mass of tumors was about the size of a Jr football. The mass was cutting off blood flow in his aorta and IVC restricting blood flow to his legs.

The mass was also pressing into his spine causing intense pain in his lower back.

—December 2023:

Donovan started chemo. He lost his hair, but the cancer still couldn’t take his smile and laughter. Or keep him from being an excellent father, even when our disabled child needed extra support and loving attention. He would always be there for us as best as he could.

—December 31st 2023:

The swelling in his legs was getting worse along with the pain. And on New Year’s Day after tests and scans Donovan was admitted into the hospital for a massive blood clot in his leg.

Despite his pain he never stopped smiling, and even with all the bad news, scans showed that the mass of tumors had shrunk down to the size of a grape!

—As of February 22, 2024:

He should be done with chemo (but we won’t know for sure until his scan in mid March.) But the battle is far from over.

Throughout all of this our daughter’s roof developed a leak that’s gotten progressively worse. And even with insurance the medical bills are stacking up.

The doctor is recommending him to stay home at least another 2 months so his blood clot doesn’t dislodge and move to his lungs, but his job’s sick pool PTO runs out in April.

If you feel led to help support us as we deal with the aftermath of cancer treatment, and continued treatment for his blood clot we would be so grateful for the help towards medical expenses, a new roof, and groceries.

I’ll be completely honest, this battle has taken a massive toll on our family. It’s been the hardest season of our lives. The levels of stress, tears, and fear we’ve experienced has been unreal.

We wouldn’t have come this far without the support of family and friends, and despite how far we’ve come we still have a long way to go. We are so grateful for all the support and encouragement. This has been the HARDEST season for us and it feels like it’s just been one thing after another, but we will get through this one day at a time!

March 3, 2024-

We found a lower quote on the roof with a reputable company! I updated the amount to reflect the lower quote!

March 27, 2024-

He had his scan and as much as we hoped for a clear scan… that’s not what we got. The dr is hopeful it’s not cancer, but there is still a mass in his back. She thinks it may be a teratoma and is referring him back to the urologist to see if they can remove it.

So it looks like more of a waiting game until his appointment in April.

And we finally got some roofers out that would work with us and our situation. The new roof is on, but we are still having some major leaks. He came out again to take a look and we hope this time he got it.

Thanks so much to everyone for the prayers and support!!