Doug and JoAnn Davidson

A little background information that we borrowed from a Facebook post on behalf of Doug and JoAnn's girls, Sharmon, Kendal, and Kellie Jo.

"After many appointments, we have found out our dad has thyroid cancer…

On May 23rd our dad went into St. Paul’s hospital in Saskatoon for what was supposed to be a 2 day stay in the hospital (surgery the 23rd and released the 24th). After receiving a call from our mother, we realized there was more going on and the cancer had metastasized. Dad was now left with a tracheotomy and would be staying in Saskatoon for what seemed like forever (especially to him!)

The cancer had attached to his esophagus, vocal cord on the left side, lymph nodes in his neck and chest, and to the carotid and vertebral arteries in the front of his neck. The cancer has gone so far down his chest that without splitting his chest bone, they couldn’t get it all in the surgery.

The Cancer is now called Metastatic Thyroid Cancer.

With them having a 4+ hour drive into the city from home, mom stayed with my husband and I (Sharmon and Ray), so she didn’t have to drive as far. She drove in every day from our place, only missing a couple days so she could run back to Maple Creek to run in paperwork for dad, and do some banking. FINALLY they got to go home on June 10th…. With the trache still in, and a feed tube. So, no food or drinking, no sleeping flat, not able to speak, and the trache staying in for at least 2 months.

Then, when we were finally understanding what all this stuff meant we were thrown another curve…

We have been told dad would only be doing “good old fashion radiation", and in September they will see if chemo is needed.

We tried to get his treatments moved to Medicine Hat where we have family and friends close but there is no possibility of that happening for a number of reasons. So now there will be at least 7 weeks of treatments at the Allan Blair Cancer Centre in Regina… another 4 hours away from home.

Kellie, Kendal, and myself (Sharmon) have had numerous people reaching out to us wanting to help in any way they can. We are so grateful that we have so many amazing humans in our lives that want to reach out to help our family through this confusing, difficult time. (to be honest… it’s a super shitty…anyone who knows me knows I would have said that with a little more colourful language, but I’ll save that for another time).

We are struggling. We are scared. I know we will get through this, but it’s going to be uphill for a while. Dad is a tough guy and this isn’t going to knock him down. Anyone that know dad knows this is hard on him. Not being able to do all the things he was doing before. Archery, hunting and trapping, working, welding, farming, socializing, and of course his most missed thing right now…drinking Pepsi!

With the treatments being so far away, dad will be staying in Regina. Mom can’t go because they still need 2 incomes. We are asking for help for fuel, bills, accommodations, and help for mom to actually go stay in Regina without worrying about missing work.

I personally know how I’m feeling with dad being sick.. I am crushed. My mind can’t focus. I’m struggling day to day mentally with a million questions of why?! Why us? Why my dad? Why can’t God stop this?!?! I can’t imagine what my dad is feeling. I can’t imagine how scared my mother is. We want the burden of money to be off their shoulders so they can stay focused on healing. To stay focused on their relationship. To focus on the future.

We aren’t just asking for money…we are asking for any help… Help on the farm, help with driving dad, moral support, and all the prayers you have, to whomever you pray to! We need it all right now!!

Any information that anyone is looking for can be sent to any of us girls!

If anyone wants to reach out to any of us, please do!

Kellie Jo Davidson, Kendal R Pettyjohn, and Sharmon Davidson"