Help Michael Titus Seek Treatment

Juli Titus is a hardworking mother of two, wife, and daughter who recently has been asked to manage more than one person ever should. In February 2014, her husband Michael was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma under his tongue. Initially, he was told by doctors that this type of cancer is rarely aggressive and initial surgical treatments should be curative. Partial dissection of his tongue was performed with a second surgery weeks later to remove the upper lymph nodes in his neck (just to be safe); no chemotherapy or radiation were suggested due to the level of confidence that all of the cancer was removed and it would never come back.

Unfortunately, doctors did not realize that Mike would fall in the small category of people for whom treatment would be unsuccessful. In February 2017, Mike underwent outpatient laparoscopic knee surgery, as he was feeling great and cancer free.  Upon returning home (and the following day) Mike observed a lump on his neck. The ENT told him not to worry, as it was likely a pulled muscle. But the Titus’ demanded a CT scan which revealed the cancer was back; it was time for this Army man, loving husband, and doting father to fight.

In just four weeks, the time Mike had to wait for surgery, the tumor grew to the size of a tangerine, invaded six additional lymph nodes, and had wrapped around muscle tissue within the neck itself. Another tumor grew under his under his tongue. This cured, non-aggressive cancer was anything but. Surgery was performed May 1, 2017 during which doctors performed another partial tongue dissection, removed 33 more lymph nodes, removed muscle, and resected his jugular vein.  After surgery, the family was faced with three rounds of chemotherapy and 34 rounds of radiation. He became extremely sick and was hospitalized for more than half of his treatment. Still staying positive, the family told themselves that they could ensure anything for a few months; they would get through it together.

In October 2017, amid illness and exhaustion, Mike received his follow up CT scan to ensure that surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and all of the pain and suffering were working. But the cancer was still present and had spread to the lungs, now considered stage four squamous cell carcinoma. Still unwilling to give up hope at recovery, and with a hard-working, determined, ROCK of a wife in his corner, Mike began immunotherapy. This chemotherapeutic agent was given over the next  four months. Again, it did not work.

In March 2018, his neck tumor was biopsied and sent for genetic testing; yet another protocol of chemotherapeutic agents and a targeting agent were started. Finally some hope: within only days Mike was able to move his neck and actually hold it up for the first time in seven months. Living with a feeding tube, with no taste buds, with dry mouth, with thyroid damage, with hearing loss, with muscle damage and not seeing any improvements was incredibly defeating, but finally, a glimmer of improvement reignited the family’s zeal to get through this.

Five weeks into this chemo protocol (still sick and losing weight and strength) Mike fell and shattered two ribs and punctured a lung.  He was admitted to the hospital again. While dealing with these injuries, doctors dealt one more, heartbreaking blow: again the treatment had stopped working. This time was different though. Juli and Mike were told that, based on the genetic makeup of this cancer, the doctors have no more treatment options.

Juli and Mike are left only with options not available in the United States: they can give up, or they can go to Mexico. In Mexico, doctors will focus on Insulin Potentiation Therapy, IV Ozone therapy, hyperbaric oxygen treatment, IV vitamin C with K3, Vallovax vaccine, nutrition and more modalities that are not yet approved by the US FDA. Cost of treatment is $40,000 out-of-pocket, before travel expenses and follow-up visits.

Juli is a veterinary technician, a hardworking individual who has dedicated her life to advocating and caring for the voiceless in need. She works long hours for a wage that we as an industry agree is wholly inadequate. The job is tough, stressful, emotionally taxing, and physically laborious. And yet, that hard work isn't enough to make ends meet. So, through this terrible, exhausting time, Juli has found herself working two jobs (the second being that she cleans homes and businesses). All of this while juggling doctors’ appointments, managing a household, taking care of two teenage daughters, Hanna (age 15) and Hailey (age 13), and caring for her ill mother, who is in the end stages of COPD, bed bound in a nursing home for rehabilitation.  It is simply too much by any metric.

Team Titus keeps fighting with Juli at the helm, keeping her team positive. This therapy provides hope, but also means taking time off work. It provides a chance at life, but also means traveling to Mexico while gravely ill. It provides Mike the potential to see his kids graduate, get married, have kids of their own, but also means a great financial burden. And this is where we all come in.

The communities in which Mike and Juli have surrounded themselves are supportive ones: the dance community, the veterinary community, the military community, among others. As such, we are confident that we can pull together enough funds to make this treatment possible for a very deserving, hard-working family. Please consider donating what you can, sharing wide and far, and offering words of support. It is time to come together to share some of the burden.


Thank you for your support,
Team Titus