Gabe Kessel’s Grapple Against Brain Cancer: Join His Corner

Gabe Kessel, a 17-year-old wrestler and a junior at White Bear Lake High School, is grappling against an extremely rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.

In early March, Gabe Kessel started getting headaches. These headaches and Gabe's vision would worsen over the following weeks.

On April 8th, after wrestling in a weekend tournament in Minnesota, Gabe was admitted to Regions Hospital's Neuro-Surgical Intensive Care Unit (NSICU). After two weeks filled with emergency surgeries, tests, and uncertainty, specialists had a devastating answer: Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG)

Gabe and his family were originally told he had months, not years.

What we do know about DMG:

DMG, in short, is a type of brain tumor in the central nervous system that primarily affects children but can also affect older teens, as in Gabe's case. DMG is also very aggressive, with fewer than 10% of patients surviving two years from diagnosis and only 1% of patients surviving five years or more.

What’s 'On deck' for Gabe ~

Gabe's Goals:

Treatment: As Gabe and his family prepared for this long battle, he jumped in swinging through radiation treatment - concluding mid-June.

The most exciting update is that Gabe has also been accepted into the ONC201 Expanded Access Program (EAP), dubbed a miracle drug for DMG. This program will be a complete game-changer, specifically designed for his diagnosis. Most likely, he will venture through chemotherapy before but stay tuned for details…

After being released to start radiation, Gabe wanted to attend his very first prom with his date and his friends. With the support of many, Gabe had an incredible experience at WBL’s prom alongside his classmates. Now, Gabe has his sights set on one thing: wrestling.

Gabe wants to be back with his team, to wrestle his senior year, and to complete his wrestling career.

He wants to spend his time with the ins and outs of wrestling life: being with his people, embracing the grind at practice, going to summer camps, enjoying the shenanigans at overnights, and most of all, stepping on the mat at least one more time and hearing the whistle blow.

Gabe's Corner: How WE can support ~

Throughout weeks of hospitalization and roller coasters of information, his parents had a million questions, as all of us can try to imagine.

With your support, we can help answer one of those questions: how will the Kessel family withstand their harrowing battle?

Love, awareness, and support.

As Gabe’s parents, Anna and Joe, learned, the advanced treatment for a child with brain cancer, with the added costs of everything that has already taken place, is estimated to cost between $100,000 - $130,000.

Anna and Joe, who have already missed a significant amount of work, are still making sacrifices and must plan on continuing to do everything in their power to get Gabe the best treatment possible, wherever that may be and for however long it takes. Worsening financial hardship is inevitable.

Most importantly, Gabe and his family will lose time. Time spent doing what most families should do before summer arrives: spending time together, doing fun things at fun places, and having moments unclouded by what they'll be facing.

This is where we, those in Gabe's Corner, can support him and his family and ease their financial burden. ️

All donations will go towards bills, out-of-pocket medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

Gabe Kessel's Story ~

As Gabe completes his junior year at home, away from his friends and classmates, we should understand who Gabe Kessel is.

Gabe is a funny and happy teenager. He would smile while passing you by and would even hold the door for you, regardless of how far away you were.

Before his diagnosis, Gabe could be seen in the halls or in class laughing and smiling his way throughout the day while growing into a prime example of a passionate student-athlete who is dedicated, disciplined, and loyal to everything and everyone he cares about.

After graduation, Gabe wants to be a paramedic – to help people who need it the most.

He is the youngest of four siblings: Riley, Jacob, Emily, and Allison. His parents, equally passionate and dedicated as their children, are special parents who are always there at every event, helping, volunteering, and supporting their son, Gabe.

Gabe Kessel is a wrestler; it’s his single sport that he loves doing all year. As much as Gabe’s laugh and smile inspire others to do the same, if you were to watch him wrestle, you would see a Gabe transformed—a tough, unbreakable, and relentless Gabe that rivals the intensity of the fiercest UFC fighters.

"We know Gabe will fight this battle fearlessly and relentlessly, as he does on the mat, and we will always be in his corner." - WBL Wrestling Coaching Staff

A 'Wrestler's' Chance to be the One Percent ~

Not all hope is lost.

Currently, there are several long-term survivors of DMG.

Despite no apparent commonalities between surviving longer than two years, research has shown some factors and promising study trends:

Gabe’s diagnosis falls into these factors. Additionally, Gabe is otherwise an incredibly healthy and conditioned athlete with an absolute will to fight.

With all the above, in addition to your support, thoughts, and prayers, Gabe will be in that One percent!

Thanks for spending the time to read about Gabe and his family. If you'd like to join Gabe's Corner, please:

1) GIVE whatever you can. No donation is too small

2) SHARE on social media (#GabesCorner)

3) EMAIL this page - gofundme.com/GabesCorner - to your family + friends.