Final Expenses for Justin Ellenberger

Hi, my name is Brittany Mercer and I am looking to raise money for Kiersten Amacher and Kevin Ellenberger to help pay for the final expenses of the late Justin Ellenberger, Sr.  Justin has recently lost a long battle from unexpected complications from pre-pancreatic cancer.  He was first diagnosed with pre - pancreatic cancer in September 2017.  

Here is a note from his loving fiancé, Kiersten.
"As some of you may or may not have known, 3 years ago we were told Justin had pre-pancreatic cancer on October 31, 2017 Justin went into have the surgery to remove this mass that was found. This procedure is called the Whipple Procedure. Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy) is an operation to remove the head of the pancreas, small piece of his stomach, the first part of the small intestine (duodenum), the gallbladder and the bile duct. The remaining organs are reattached to allow you to digest food normally after surgery. Since then, Justin has been doing follow up appointments with his doctors both in Pittsburgh and in Elk County.
On Sunday December 13, 2020 I took Justin to Penn Highlands Elk for severe pains in his side. Once the doctors in the ER determined the pain was because of his pancreas. They called Allegheny General to make arrangements to have Justin transported by ambulance. Once Justin was at Allegheny General, they diagnosed him with acute pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas that develops quickly. They treated him with fluids and antibiotics. The doctor at Allegheny General sent him home 3 days later Wednesday December 16, 2020. Telling us to continue the antibiotic as prescribed. When I went to pick him up his legs and face were swollen and puffy. His face and whites in his eyes were jaundiced. Once we got home, he took the medication as prescribed and propped his feet up to try to reduce the swelling in his feet and legs. He used compression stocking during the day also. The swelling in his feet and legs and the jaundice in his face and eye didn’t get any better. The kids, myself and other family members asked him to go back to the hospital because something was not right. He kept telling us he would go after Christmas because he was not missing Christmas with us. Finally, late Saturday December 26th he left me call the ambulance to come get him. He was taken to Penn Highlands Elk. Due to Covid, I couldn't go to the hospital, so I called to see what they had found out. The nurse on the other line said Honey, I am really sorry to tell you this, but it doesn’t look good.” Justin still has pancreatitis, his liver was failing, as well as his kidneys, blood pressure was very low, and he has sepsis. Penn Highlands has a call into several different hospitals. Thankfully UPMC Presby called with an open bed. The Presby team of doctor’s work with the Penn Highland ER doctors to get a plan of action for Justin to make the flight. On Sunday December 27th, 2020 Justin was life flighted to UMPC Presby. Justin was found to have Necrotizing pancreatitis. Necrotizing pancreatitis (NP) is a health problem in which part of your pancreas dies. If the dead tissue gets infected, it can cause serious issues. For the past two and half weeks he has had many ups and down. Justin was placed on the ventilator to help control his breathing during procedures and to help his body rest, dialysis to help take some of the load off his kidney, blood pressure medication to bring his blood pressure up as well as other antibiotics.
I would like to THANK everyone for their prayers, support, and love. It means the world to us. Please continue to keep Justin in your prayers as he continues to fight this fight, prayers for his team of doctors, prayer for Justin dad Kevin (he may have safe travels), and prayer to the kids to continue to be strong."
-Facebook Group: Blessings for Justin

Unfortunately, Justin lost his battle on January 18th, 2021.   With Justin's passing, it pains us to say that the final costs are more then overwhelming!  Even the smallest donation would mean the world to this family and help them overcome some unforeseen expenses.  

Thank you for the time you took to read this and thank you in advance for your donation!!! It is a debt we will never be able to repay.  Justin was and will always be a part of our family and we will do what we can to help his!