Help Jim Fight Glioblastoma #BigLiverStrong

Hello to all who love and care about the man who led you to this link,

On July 2nd, 2023 my father, Jim Schicke, checked himself into the ER due to excruciating headaches. After three days of numerous tests, an MRI scan confirmed that he had five tumors (one of them the size of a lemon) in his brain. Just two days later, my dad underwent his first brain surgery to remove the largest tumor. The surgeon was able to remove most of the mass from the larger of the five tumors and sent a sample to a pathology lab to understand more about the remaining tumors invading his brain. Two weeks later, our family got the Earth-shattering news that unfortunately so many other families have received: a diagnosis of Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma, or GBM, is the most aggressive and most common type of cancer that originates in the brain and it has a very poor prognosis for survival. As a family, we are determined to make this just a detour on his life path and we are supporting him in any way we can on his healing mission.

Everyone who knows my dad agrees that he is one of a kind. He is funny, outgoing, caring, passionate, and honest. He is a loving husband, a wonderful son, everyone’s best friend, the best little brother, and undoubtedly the best father my siblings and I could ask for. He has a beautiful soul that lights up every room he walks into. His magnetic and bright personality attracts so much love from all of the people around him. But the best word to describe my dad is brave – even during this difficult time, he remains positive, hopeful, courageous, and eager to fight this terrible disease.

After my dad’s first surgery, he lost his left peripheral vision and was no longer able to drive. While that would deter most, it did not stop him from keeping a positive and resilient attitude. One week before the start of his chemo and radiation treatments, his excruciating headaches returned and he found himself unable to walk. We took him to the emergency room for scans and received the devasting news that the tumors were growing.

My dad then had his second brain surgery on August 9th, 2023, which took from him most of the feeling on the left side of his body. He went to Kessler Rehabilitation to relearn how to walk, get into a car, feed himself, put his clothes on and more seemingly small tasks that are essential to daily life. After a week of hard work, my dad was back home and ready to start his cancer treatments. Through six weeks of daily chemotherapy and radiation treatment, my dad kept a smile most days and was surrounded by more family, friends, and positive energy than he could have ever imagined. All that love and support did not go unnoticed by any of us.

Unfortunately, both the treatments and the recommended clinical trial failed to stop the tumors from growing. With this growth came a decline in his condition and mobility – he was unable to sit-up, walk, eat, and speak. We had to seek alternative treatment plans to give my dad the best possible outcome. My dad is currently in a CareOne Rehab facility undergoing two new treatments, Avastin and Optune. We are optimistic these treatments can give him a few more months, hopefully even years. Despite his prognosis, he continues to keep a positive attitude for his family.

My mom, Nancy, my brothers, Jimmy (25) and Jake (23), and myself, Jessica (27), are my dad’s main caretakers. We are looking to bring my dad home soon so that he can be surrounded by family and friends for the time he has left. My dad has given all of himself to care for everyone around him. He was a Police Officer in Parsippany, NJ for over 20 years, dedicating his life to helping others without seeking any praise. We have never asked for help before, but we have realized that we cannot bring him home without it. As a family, we simply cannot meet the financial obligations to give my dad the best fighting chance to live long enough to see his kids grow up, get married, and have children. This cancer is just too big and too strong to fight alone. We understand that this is truly a battle and we are ready to fight and support him all the way through. In my dad’s current condition caring for him is a full-time job. My parents and I have been dedicating every second of every day to fighting this disease while forgoing any means of supplemental income. We are going to need extra support at home to help his condition improve through physical therapy and at-home care. Unfortunately, this level of care comes at an exorbitant cost and is not covered by insurance.

For these reasons, I am humbly requesting your help in fighting this battle by donating whatever amount you can, however big or small, as it will make a HUGE difference. Please continue to send positive energy, thoughts, well-wishes, visits and prayers for my dad and our family. We appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you for helping us bring my dad home so we can be together as a family while he continues to fight.