Help Roy Holt in Battle with Brain Cancer
Dear Friends and Family,
This is Lindsay and Mackenzie Holt and we are hoping to raise funds for our father, Roy Holt.
In May of 2021, our dad was diagnosed with grade IV metastatic glioblastoma, which is an aggressive form of brain cancer that forms tentacle-like structures within the brain. His sudden illness and diagnosis of a brain tumor (located in the inside, middle part of his brain) was a shock to us, our mom (Sue Holt), family members, and friends. A few days after being admitted to Valley Medical Center in San Jose, his neurosurgeon was able to remove the majority of the brain tumor, and, about two weeks after the surgery, we found out that the tumor was indeed cancerous.
Roy was able to stay in the hospital for another two weeks. Valley Med permits one visitor a day, so our mom, Sue, was driving up to San Jose every day to be with him. She would stay about 6-8 hours per day, so we were grateful once he was transferred to Learning Services (a post-acute, rehab facility) in Gilroy, CA, where we were able to all be together.
On June 28th, Roy began his six-week chemo and radiation treatments, which meant traveling back up to Valley Med every week day.
This past Thursday (July 15, 2021) was Roy's first day back in our home in Gilroy in more than two months. With him being in the middle of chemo and radiation and the ongoing recovery process from brain surgery, his transition back home has been a bit difficult.
We are hoping to raise funds to help our dad and mom through this difficult time, since they have not been able to work for the majority of the past two months. Unfortunately, in-home care is not covered by insurance, and it is desperately needed, which means we will have to pay for it out-of-pocket.
Roy requires 24-hour supervision for daily/routine activities and safety; unfortunately, he cannot be left alone at any point of the day because he is unable to function independently. Currently, he is wheelchair-bound, and needs assistance being transferred between each activity (sleeping, going to the bathroom, eating, etc.). We have to prepare each meal for him, and manage and administer his multiple medications throughout the day. Additionally, he is on a restricted diet and we regulate his daily fluid intake.
It is quite hard to see our dad like this, not only from the effects of the grade IV brain cancer and treatments, but because of the brain injury as well. While his long-term memory has improved vastly, it is still very difficult for him to recall most short-term memories, so the ability to have (what once was) a normal conversation about sports, the Giants, or our daily lives is not much of an option right now.
Even though our dad has been legally blind since the age of six, he was an avid golfer for many years and loves all sports. Throughout the entirety of both of our softball careers, he became a fixture at almost every one of our games and practices. He helped us and many of our teammates over the years by standing behind the backstop during each game and letting us know how we could improve our swings (lol)!
Any funds that are raised would go towards transportation to radiation, food, cost-of-living while our parents aren't working, and, if we are able to, in-home care.
Thank you and please feel free to contact either of us if you'd like,
Lindsay and Mackenzie Holt