Take Action Now!! Help Andrew Fight Cancer!!

UPDATE: It is with great sadness we announce that Andrew John Plagens lost his epic battle with cancer on the morning of Wednesday, September 20th, 2023, at age 31. In the few weeks since his best friend, Aaron Livingston, died, Andrew’s cancer coincidentally became its most formidable form. It attacked his major organs until they could not function any longer. Despite this, Andrew fought until his last breath.

It should be noted that Andrew would not have been able to continue his battle without everyone’s gracious donations, the help of Aaron Livingston’s family, and of course, his partner, Elizabeth Schwab.

All previous donations went to Andrew and Liz’s basic needs as they fought around the clock. This included rent, utilities, medical supplies, food, gas, and prescriptions.

Elizabeth quit her career as a paramedic and avalanche-educator in order to become a full-time caregiver for Andrew. Between constant appointments, blood tests, treatments, prescription acquisition, and symptom management, Andrew and Liz found themselves in a battle around the clock for multiple years. There was no time for money, exercise, the outdoors, or anything else that humanity requires.

**Despite losing our boys, Andrew and Aaron, we will continue this GoFundMe in order to raise money for a future foundation devoted to mental health support for mountain guides, and to support Liz, as she gets her feet back on the ground.

All mountain guides are a part of a world where death is a constant, financial prosperity is impossible, and no monetary assistance is available for health-related issues. This the perfect recipe to create a whole demographic of people that hold in constant trauma in order to keep working. These people are one mental breakdown or one cancer diagnosis from becoming destitute on the street.

*Please donate now so that Elizabeth Schwab and the Livingston family may set up a foundation to provide mental health resources to mountain guides. Please also donate so that Liz can recover from her loss for a few weeks without having to work in the punishing EMS field immediately.

Donations will go towards:

AND

PREVIOUS: Now is a crucial time in Andrew’s fight against cancer!! After losing another best friend to the mountains, Andrew’s health has taken a turn for the worse. His devoted girlfriend, Liz, has been forced to quit working in order to be his full-time caretaker. Please help these two continue the battle by donating money for their basic needs. Donate now before it's too late.

Andrew was diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer at age 29 in February of 2022. At this time, he and Liz were forced to drop their lives and move to Denver where they could receive proper care. Since then it has been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs in Andrew’s health, but this summer in 2023, the cancer began to win. The cancer has mestasisized from his colon and rectum into his liver, and is blooming throughout his bowels. In fact, he was forced to get an osteomy bag in June, and subsequently was admitted to the ICU for sepsis.

When Aaron heard this news via inreach, Aaron immediately bailed from guiding a trip up Mt. Shasta, and literally ran off of the mountain to the airport. He showed up in Denver one day later in his guiding outfit, no shower, and no sleep. He stayed on in Denver for many weeks driving Andrew to appointments and helping Liz keep the operation on its rails. The only way that Andrew survived this massive infection was by Aaron’s close involvement and optimism.

The uptick in new cancer this summer is the sign that Andrew’s cancer has learned how to mutate beyond chemo’s reach. When a cancer patient hits this point in their treatment, there is not much the doctors can do except trying the Hail-Mary trials they’ve reserved for the end. Andrew hit this point right before his closest living friend, Aaron Livingston, passed away. This was an extremely heavy hit for a man deep in the trenches. It is nearly impossible to use your remaining energy for the fight when the loss of a best friend is so painful.

Andrew is one week into immunotherapy, which is the last tactic available to fight the cancer. There is a 50/50 chance of this working, (which is the best odds we’ve heard yet!). Unfortunately, his liver is barely functioning, so he fills with fluid and needs to get drained more than once per week. He also is so weak that he is mostly wheelchair bound. Liz has to monitor him around the clock because he is so sick.

These guys need help more than ever!! Please help Andrew fight for his last chance to live!!

Aaron and Andrew guided and recreated together for many years in Ouray, Colorado. They shared a close relationship that was only strengthened after both boys lost their best friends in separate climbing accidents. Aaron lost Nolan Smythe in the spring of 2020, and Andrew lost Mason Stansfield the following spring. Andrew and Aaron became closer than ever through both of these devastating events and provided eachother with understanding and strength as they navigated a much bleaker world. It was only 10 months after Mason’s death that Andrew was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. Aaron was very involved in Andrew’s treatment, and spent lots of time in Denver helping to get Andrew to appointments and keeping the fight in motion. He provided Andrew with unrelenting support and tenacity for the cause. No one wanted Andrew to win more than Aaron, who has faced so many tragedies before, and couldn’t experience the loss of another best friend.