Support Gehrke’s during Elaine’s cancer treatment

Imagine going to the doctor thinking you have a virus or a cold then being told you might have a blood clot. The doctor orders a CT scan and informs you there is no clot …. But they give you the devastating news that they found a mass in your lung. Biopsy was scheduled and seems to have gone well. Fast forward three weeks. THREE WEEKS! At which point you are admitted to the emergency room for pneumonia and a collapsed lung. They order another CT scan. The cancer has spread rapidly. Finally the results come in and the diagnosis is worse than expected. A rare aggressive cancer that only 500 people world wide have been diagnosed with. The oncology team is working to try and figure out a treatment plan but the prognosis is grave. There may only be weeks or months to survive.

Imagine being the spouse or children in this situation. Watching your wife in pain and scared. Trying to be strong for her. Trying to be there to support her all while facing your own thoughts and emotions. Questioning how life will work now and in the future. Worrying about the day to day expenses and how to make everything work. Your wife is no longer able to work because of the cancer. You have to work in order to keep up with day to day expenses. Dreading every waking moment away from your wife. Feeling the obligation to work but grieving every moment while at work because you can’t be at your wife’s side.

Please take a moment and put your self in that position.

Elaine was diagnosed with a rare aggressive cancer called Midline Nut Carcinoma. This cancer grows and spreads rapidly. Without aggressive treatment she could only have a few weeks left. With aggressive treatment the survival rate is about 6-9 months. Chris; her husband, wants to be at her side as much as physically possible but he is still having to work to cover basic bills. We want to be able to help them cover their basic expenses so that Chris and Elaine can spend as much time as possible together over the next few weeks and hopefully months. Radiation is starting tomorrow. Likely chemo is starting soon as well. The oncologist is working with a specialty cancer hospital in Texas to form a plan and start treatment tomorrow. We will post updates as we are able and as the family is willing to share. With that being said we also ask for everyone to respect their privacy and boundaries in this very difficult time.

Chris and Elaine would give you the shirt off their backs or the last meal in their fridge if you needed it. No questions asked. They are wonderful people in a very terrible situation. They also have children that want to be able to spend time with them in these crucial moments.

I couldn’t imagine being in the position as Elaine or Chris. If my spouse was diagnosed and hospitalized I wouldn’t want to be away from them and they wouldn’t want to be alone or away from me either. I can’t imagine receiving that information. It’s heartbreaking. Every moment is precious and this family needs to be together as much as possible.

We are asking for donations to help cover the day to day expenses of owning and managing a home. Any amount will help. If you are local; even dropping off things like gift cards for groceries or gas would be a big help. We ask that if you want to drop something off that you contact us on their behalf so that they can have as much time together as possible. We are also planning on putting some meals together for the family and to have meals ready if Elaine is able to come home soon. Once again anything would help. All funds will go directly to the family.

Please contact Megan or Destiny on behalf of Chris and Elaine.