Help the fight against cancer with Jake S.

In October 2022, my brother Jake discovered a strange growth on his tongue, which turned out to be a squamous cell carcinoma ("SCC"). While no one deserves to suffer through this terrible disease, SCC is normally found in elderly lifelong smokers or drinkers. An operation removed the tumor in October, and Jake received a challenging course of radiation to attempt to eliminate the disease. But now the cancer is back, and the treatments are far longer and more traumatic, and that's why I'm starting this GoFundMe and asking for your support.

Jake's apparent recovery took a hard left turn in late April, when a recurrence of the HNSCC was discovered in the same location. To say this was devastating news would be an understatement. Jake and his wife Bess frantically searched for answers, talking to every HNSCC specialist they could find. But data is sparse around this particular form of cancer, and opinions on treatment can vary wildly from expert to expert. Doctors recommended surgery and immunotherapy, but many if not most patients do not survive from those alone. Some doctors recommended chemo and others didn't.

Jake underwent surgery to remove the new growth in hopes of finding a curative solution. While the surgery was a success in the sense that the tumor was removed, it resulted in a full glossectomy—in other words, he has no tongue and can't eat or swallow—and serious deficits that will affect him for the rest of his life.

My brother is a fighter. He wants to live, despite the fact that he will never eat solid food again or speak normally. He may never be able to meaningfully work again. Many people, including myself, struggle to understand how to help a person going through devastating treatments that leave permanent impairments. Unfortunately, no amount of money, thoughts, or prayers can defeat cancer.

Jake is recovering relatively well - all things considered - but faces the imminent daunting shadow of platinum-based chemotherapy for the second time in his life. He'll be out of work for some time, and his wife will be as well as his primary caretaker.

Cancer is an insidious disease that attacks 1.6 million people in this country every year. Most of the people who read this message have been brushed by its dark touch; whether it be personally or with a friend or a loved one. This is actually Jake's second bout with cancer: twenty years ago, he had bone cancer, and, through a brutal combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and the efforts of an army of medical practitioners -- his life was spared. The side effects - both mental and physical - never go away, even after recovery. But he's lived a happy life. Today, at 39, he's facing a much greater challenge than he did with the bone cancer. However, he's in the prime of life, trying to start a family, and look forward.

I'm starting this fundraiser to help him during this very difficult period. He is a stoic person, and not one to ask for help -- which is why I damn near had to wrestle him to let me start this. He and our family are eternally grateful for any help you can provide during this time, even if it's just a friendly note.

If you'd like to follow along with Jake's fight, please subscribe to his blog here: https://jakeseliger.com/. He's been running it for 20 years.

Bess' writings can also be found there or on her Substack profile.

Hold your loved ones tight. Thank you.