Support Greg Johns, Electrician SVSD "The Awesome Tall Guy"

Hi. My name is Rebekah Grinnen and I am fundraising for Greg Johns and his family. Greg will have to retire from work which will cause financial strain on the family. Any donations will help greatly with their finances and medical bills. So much appreciation for all your positive thoughts during a time filled with so many unknowns.

Greg’s Story, …

On March 7, 2024, Greg was diagnosed with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. He had appointments with the ENT, Radiologist, Oncology and Surgeon. All 4 doctors met with the Tumor board, they determined that surgery was the best and only option for Greg to hopefully be cancer-free. This was not the news he and his wife Stacy had wanted to hear. The surgery entails removal of most of his tongue, building a ‘flap’ to take the place of the tongue (does not work as a tongue because there’s no muscle), insertion of a port for a feeding tube. There’s an 85% chance that he’ll need the feeding tube for the rest of his life. He will not be able to speak, initially, but hoping that with a lot of swallowing and speech therapy, he’ll regain the ability to swallow liquids and get some sort of speech back even if it’s very different than before surgery. It’s going to be a long road of healing.

It’s all so devastating and heartbreaking for him, his family and friends.

Greg’s backstory, …

Greg married Stacy in October 1992 and it was an amazing day! Then 5 months later he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Nasopharyngeal cancer, which is a rare cancer. It was inoperable, so he had to have a lengthy term of high dose radiation and radiation seeds implanted. All of which made him very, very sick. But the doctors had to attack this with a vengeance to try and save his life. They succeeded! But over the years the damage from the radiation treatments has shown itself by damaging his thyroid, having high blood pressure that’s been hard to maintain, and damage to both carotid arteries to the extent that 1 is fully occluded and surgery to put 3 stents in the other one over a short period of 5 years’ time.

Now Greg, Stacy, and their son Tyler are dealing with a new cancer that’s come from the radiation treatments he had 31 years ago. But this time he’s losing so much more. Sometimes it’s too much to think about.

That’s when he and Stacy will hop on his Indian motorcycle and just ride! Some of their happiest times have been taking their motorcycle with them on vacations and cruising wherever the road takes them! That will continue no matter what.

With all the support from family and friends, they will stay strong and get through this.

Every minute together is a gift.

This is a family that has fought this fight before and they’ll do it again!