Help Trevor Zaenkert Beat Cancer.

Team fundraiser

Michael Hodge and Brittany Brabender are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Trevor Zaenkert.

Donation protected

Trevor’s battle with cancer over the past few years has been very difficult and is ongoing. If you know Trevor personally, you know he is a very hard worker! Unfortunately, he has been unable to earn a consistent income due to frequent treatments and surgeries. We appreciate your consideration in blessing Trevor with a monetary donation and we are BEYOND grateful for your outpouring support in prayer. Donations will go towards Trevor’s medical bills and any surplus will be utilized in supporting Trevor’s passion for Tractor pulling. We hope you take some time to read Trevor’s story and again we truly appreciate your support!

Trevor’s “Life Changing” experience started in July of 2018 when he was first diagnosed with Osteosarcoma Cancer in his right arm. In August, he started chemotherapy to prepare for his first surgery on his 17th birthday, November 9, 2018. Trevor’s medical team removed the tumor and more than half of his humerus. The team was able to replace the portion of his humerus with a donor bone secured with a metal plate.

Trevor continued chemotherapy throughout the year and into 2019. In November of 2019 he returned to the hospital for another surgery on his right arm. The plate holding the donor bone in place broke. They removed and replaced the metal plate. At this time Trevor had very little strength and no mobility in his right arm.

In August of 2020 Trevor’s doctors planned another surgery for his right arm. This time the medical team was going to remove Trevor’s Fibula bone from his right leg and use it in his arm to strengthen the donor bone and hopefully help him gain a little strength, although this would not improve his mobility. The medical team were several hours into surgery when they realized the plan would not work. The donor bone was horribly infected. The new plan was to remove the donor bone and replace it with an antibiotic infused spacer. The surgeon also informed Trevor’s parents that the team had already started removing Trevor’s fibular bone from his right leg. The team opened his leg and cut the fibula at both ends in order to prepare for the complete removal of the fibula and the insertion into Trevor’s arm. Since they were not able to use the Fibula, they realigned it at both ends and plated it into place.

Trevor once again returned to the hospital for another surgery on his right arm to replace the antibiotic infused spacer with another antibiotic infused spacer because of continued infection. At this time his family believed he was cancer free.

Routine scans in January of 2021 disclosed Trevor once again had cancer. This time it was in his left lung. In early February Trevor returned to the hospital for surgery to remove the tumor in his lung. His medical team removed 9 lesions from his left lung. Five of the lesions were active Osteosarcoma, two of the lesions were non-viable sarcomas (had been killed by the previous chemo) and two were too small to determine.

The plan after the surgery of the left lung was to do surgery on the right lung to ensure there were not any active lesions, although the scans in January did not show any lesions.

Trevor and his family decided to seek a second opinion from the James at Ohio state. The James obtained routine labs, an X-ray and MRI of Trevor’s right arm which showed a large tumor in his right arm which was diagnosed as Osteosarcoma. Trevor was admitted to the James and started chemotherapy with hopes of shrinking the large tumor enough so the medical team can remove the tumor and allow Trevor to keep his arm.

Trevor was preparing to start his junior year of high school when he was first diagnosed. He underwent very invasive chemotherapy throughout his junior year. He was in and out of the hospital frequently for treatments.

Trevor was forced to put his life on hold while he battled cancer and he continues to fight today. He had plans on going to college at University of Northwestern Ohio to take automotive and high-performance. Trevor was not able to realize those dreams with the continued need for medical treatments and pastand future surgeries along with the mounting medical expenses.

Trevor’s passion has always been tractor pulling. Trevor’s uncle Bob helped Trevor in acquiring his V8 Hot Rod Pulling tractor, “Life Changer”. Trevor’s Dad was able to redesign the throttle on Trevor’s tractor to enable him to be able pull the tractor with very little movement and strength of his right arm. Trevor and his Dad are in the process of building a new engine for his tractor so Trevor can continue to compete.

Trevor’s faith is strong and his determination is stronger. With prayers and continued treatment, he can beat the cancer.

I sincerely hope you find it in your heart and you are able to help Trevor with the mounting medical bills and allow him the opportunity to fulfill some of his dreams.