Gino's Cancer Journey

Our father, Gino Gori started his battle with cancer 19 months ago. It has been the hardest experience our family has ever faced. December 15th, 2021, our dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Gastric Cancer. We will never forget the call we received that day. Our Dad? Cancer? Absolutely not possible.

If you know Gino, you understand this diagnosis was incredibly shocking. Gino is young, way too young. He takes care of his body, works out, bikes, loves to golf, and is an overall healthy and strong person. He did everything right. Why is this happening to our dad and our family? It’s a question we will never know the answer to.

Our family has been so fortunate to have a doctor in the family, Gino's brother Jeffrey. Jeff has been such a crucial and instrumental part of our family's navigation through all of this and we are forever grateful for the hours and hours of time and resources he has put in, always hopping on calls with doctors, jumping into dad's medical charts to review doctor's notes and medical scans. Jeff has been an on-call doctor for our parents, any time of day or night since the beginning of Gino’s cancer diagnosis.

Gino's journey has had many highs and lows over the last year and a half. In February of 2022, Gino qualified for a clinical trial through the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, where he received amazing medical care from a great group of oncologists. Through this trial, his stomach tumor was able to shrink slightly, although this came with a cost. Gino developed colitis, which caused him to lose a massive amount of weight that took a toll on his body. He went from 195 pounds down to 127 pounds at his lowest weight. We didn't know if Gino could bounce back from this. Because he was so weak, they had to pause chemotherapy for several weeks. His doctors prescribed steroids to help him regain energy and his appetite back. Due to his fight, endurance, and will to live, Gino was able to slowly eat more and more each day, gradually putting weight back on, and got to about 185 pounds, give or take. We were all shocked to see this. He is an ANOMALY, a CHAMPION, a WARRIOR.

Because of the colitis, there was a pause in chemo and immunotherapy and he had to stop the Mayo Clinic trial. This was a big blow to Gino and his family. Gino did not let this get him down. He continued to fight. Mayo informed us there were other chemotherapies he could try. With these came lots of fluctuations as well. His scans showed his tumor growing, but then switching treatments had it remain stable for a short time, then it would grow a little bit again, and this cycle continued. Gino managed these treatments extraordinarily well and eventually everything felt almost normal again, even though the cancer was still looming. For a short time Gino resumed a somewhat normal lifestyle, he was able to go back to the gym again and even golf a few holes. Most recently, in May we noticed a decline in his health. He was not able to eat as much, getting full faster, and our worst nightmare was coming true all over again. Gino's tumor was growing and his cancer had now spread into his lungs, making it extremely difficult for him to breathe. Gradually, he began to eat less and less, dropping weight significantly again, needed to be hospitalized and sent home with oxygen to breathe easier.

During our last appointment with Mayo on August 28th, the oncology team concluded that after 4 failed lines of chemotherapy and immunotherapy and 39 chemotherapy sessions, there were no other treatment options available to improve his condition. We all made the very difficult decision that home hospice was the next step in this journey. Gino wants to spend the time he has left earth-side surrounded by his family, friends, and pets at his home.

Many of you know and love our father. He is truly an unforgettable person. He touches everyone he meets, would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need, and has been known to stop to save turtles in the middle of the road. One of our father’s primary oncologists called his journey “absolutely remarkable” and our dad is a “badass” emphasizing his never-ending willpower, strength, and fight, and he was not wrong one bit. Our dad’s character shines through and through. He showed the utmost appreciation to his hospital staff, nurses, oncologists, and doctors throughout this whole process, even thanking all of them out the door on his last appointment at Mayo Clinic.

Throughout Gino’s journey he continued to work. His energy, enthusiasm, and true professionalism towards his work responsibilities before, during, and after many of his doctor appointments, hospital visits, and chemo treatments – are a testament to his character and resiliency to beat the cancer.

Since Gino’s diagnosis, his wife and our wonderful mother, Kristi Gori has never left his side. She had to stop working months ago and has been his full-time caregiver providing 24/7 love, care, support, nurturing, and everything under the sun. The true love our parents have for one another is absolutely astounding. Even in the most testing of times, their love has prospered and grown even stronger. There is something truly beautiful about the bond they share that will remain in this life and after.

Many of you have reached out with your love, support, and prayers these past few months, for which we are truly grateful. When we first proposed a GoFundMe to our parents to help with growing financial obligations, they were adamantly opposed to the idea. However, with the decision to begin hospice and in support of our mom and what’s to come, Gino has agreed to let us do this, which we hope brings them both comfort and peace of mind.

We understand all families face tough situations. We never thought our family would have to face anything like this. If you are able to extend your support by donating to our father’s GoFundMe, our family will be forever thankful and grateful. If you’re not able to donate at this time, please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this incredibly difficult chapter.

We love you and thank you all so very much. #GinoStrong, forever and ever.

Love,

The Gori Girls (Shelby and Karina)