Help Todd Parks Fight Brain Cancer

Todd, my best friend of 35 plus years, was just diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.  Todd is a hardworking man who has always put family and friends first.  Todd is the type of friend you can rely on, available at a moment’s notice. He is kind, compassionate, generous, and caring. Everyone should be fortunate enough to have this type of friend.  Those friends who are blessed to have Todd in your lives know what I am talking about.  It is time for us to come together and help him and his family through this trying time.  For those of you who have come across this page without knowing Todd, I’m hoping you will take my word for it. He is worth every thought, prayer, or donation you are willing and able to offer him. 

 Let me tell you his story.

In 2013 Todd started having a sudden onset of seizures. After undergoing numerous medical tests, an MRI confirmed a lesion in his left front temporal lobe. At this time, the doctors did not consider the lesion life-threatening; the primary goal was to control his seizures and headaches. The lesion would be monitored through periodic MRIs and watched for signs of growth. 


In 2018 a routine MRI showed the lesion had started to grow.  Surgery was recommended to remove what was now classified as a brain tumor. The emotional stress of the prospect of having brain surgery triggered severe anxiety and more seizures, thus delaying surgery until these symptoms could be controlled.

The year 2020  proved to be a challenging year for most of the world, including Todd. His tumor had grown, and the accompanying seizures and memory loss were becoming more frequent and severe.  His doctors decided his surgery could no longer be delayed. 


On December 1, 2020, Todd underwent neurosurgery to have the tumor removed. Todd was alone while hospitalized and was discharged two days after surgery to minimize pandemic exposure. Todd is fortunate to have the loving support of his wife, Shawn, daughter Breanna, and extended family. Todd experienced some memory loss, word recall, and left-sided weakness. Todd’s determination and physical therapy have aided in the improvement of these symptoms. Todd’s medical doctors are thrilled with his progress. 

The week of Christmas, Todd and his family received the tumor’s pathology/biopsy results that showed Todd had a rare form of cancer known as Oligodendroglioma that affects only about 1200 people a year in the United States. Todd would have to start chemotherapy right away, followed by several rounds of radiation treatments. Since this type of cancer is notorious for coming back very aggressively, this will be a part of Todd‘s daily life.

Todd and his family live in a rural part of the United States where Cancer Treatment Centers are very limited, especially for his cancer type.  The location of the cancer treatment center is over 90 miles away from their home. Because of the treatment‘s side effects, Todd’s wife, Shawn, takes time off from her paraeducator job to drive him to his treatment appointments.  Todd’s health insurance covers only a small portion of treatment expenses, and medical bills are starting to add up. Expenses include surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, doctor visits, MRI, CT scans, and lab work, making it very challenging, if not impossible, for Todd and his family to meet the needed treatment cost in addition to ordinary day-to-day expenses.

Todd rarely asks for help but is always humbled when assistance is given to himself or his family and would like me to extend a thank you for taking the time to read his story. Todd understands that this year has been challenging for everyone, so if you can not donate, he asks that you keep him in your prayers and share his story with your family and friends.