Help Michael Morris Fight Pancreatic Cancer

My name is Allysiah Morris, and I am organizing this fundraiser for my parents, Michael and Kristin Morris.

My amazing dad, Michael Morris, is fighting a battle I wish upon no one - the fight against cancer. In 2004 this amazing man walked into mine and my mother's life. He picked up all the broken pieces and put our family back together. Though not blood, he treated me like his own daughter from day one without hesitation. He was there for all my milestones; school plays, teaching me to fish, my first boyfriend, getting my driver's license, all my hard times, graduating high school and everything in between. I honestly don’t know where I would be today if I didn’t have his support and guidance along the way; for that, he is and always will be my dad. As far as I remember, I wanted him to adopt me and take his last name legally. So, in 2021 we did just that. The judge granted the adoption on September 9th, 2021 and on August 4th, 2022, after a long process, I took his last name. In the midst of all this, on May 4th 2022 the ground shattered beneath us and our lives were completely flipped upside down when my dad was diagnosed with stage III Adenocarcinoma Pancreatic Cancer with vascular involvement.

For people that don’t know about Pancreatic Cancer, I’m going to be completely upfront about it. With this cancer having almost no tell-tale signs, most people don’t know they have it until it’s too late (Stage IV), making it one of the deadliest cancers. It progresses fast, known to go from stage I to IV in a year if it is not treated, with an overall survival rate of only 7%.

My dad was diagnosed with stage III, and though the cancer is still one of the deadliest, we are truly blessed that we caught it before stage IV. With this being caught in an earlier stage he is a candidate for treatment and surgery. Still, with the low survival rate, he has a chance to fight this awful disease and spend more time with us making memories.

On June 14th, 2022, my dad started one of the harshest regimens of chemotherapy (Folfirinox). Since then, he has been through dozens of scans, too many needle pokes to count, one biopsy, one exploratory surgery, 12 rounds/6 months of chemotherapy and with no Doctors locally that could help, three trips to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. On November 30th, we celebrated a small yet powerful victory; my dad got to ring the bell, signifying that he is done with chemotherapy. It is doing its job to reduce the activity in the cancer cells, but the fight is not over yet… On January 3rd, 2023, my parents will be flying back to Rochester, MN, to start prepping for what we hope is the answer to our prayers, surgery.

Starting in January, my dad will go through 3-5 consecutive weeks of radiation combined with a low dose chemo pill. After radiation is complete, they will be flying back home for 4-6 weeks before flying back to Rochester for what is hopefully my dad's life-saving surgery. The surgery that he has to undergo is very long and I cannot stress enough, very complicated. So complicated, only a handful of hospitals can perform the surgery and it has no name. They will be removing his pancreas, stomach, spleen, gallbladder, portions of both his portal vein and main artery and reconstructing it all. With no complications, he will be hospitalized for two weeks and then have to stay in a hotel in Rochester for another 2-3 weeks to complete the 30 day complication window. After surgery, he will be on a feeding tube for at least six months and return to Rochester every three months for scans for potentially the rest of his life. He will become a type I diabetic and insulin-dependent, immunocompromised, amongst many other lifestyle changes.

Since my dad was diagnosed, my parents have had to pay out of pocket for air travel, hotels, and a very large out of state insurance deductible, which is about to reset with the new year. For only the upcoming TWO trips to Rochester for radiation and surgery the costs have piled up to almost $20,000 out of pocket so far on top of their normal life bills. This only includes hotel, plane tickets and the insurance deductible. This does NOT include having to stay longer if complications arise, any food for the combined two-plus months they will be in Rochester, or even the future trips every three months they have to pay for out of pocket.

Once my dad has surgery he won’t be able to work for a long time, maybe never again, leaving all the bills and expenses for my mom to cover. I have started this Go-fund-Me in hopes of raising money for my parents to help relieve financial stress from my mom during this scary and difficult time so that she can focus on my dad.

I ask that you please share this far and wide with friends and family and if possible giving, any amount will help and is greatly appreciated.

I have faith in God that he will get my family through these challenging times and heal my dad. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support. God Bless.