Helping Rich & Rita fight his next cancer battle

Go Fund Me

Hi Everyone! My name is Leah, friend of Rich and Rita! I am organizing this GoFundMe for them to help with an insurmountable situation that they should not have to face alone! Please do not contact them directly as they are already inundated with daily life. Leave a message for them below for them to read and see your caring words of support!

As you may know, Rich has a rare form of cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (cancer in the nasal pharynx behind the nose). First occurrence was in 2017, then 2020 and the third time in early 2023. For the third time, chemo and radiation were not options for treatment. He had to undergo many tests to assure he would be a candidate for surgery. Rich had a 14 hour long surgery on May 24, 2023 to remove the tumor and cancerous tissue from the nasopharynx. They took muscle from his thigh to put in place of the removed tissue. The recovery has been a long road. The right side of his face has no sensation and nonfunctional as the surgeons had to stretch out his facial nerve and cut the cranial nerve to remove the cancer. He has a difficult time eating, and talking. During this time, Rich’s parents came to town to help the family while Rich recovers. His father had an AV Fistula in his brain that caused his motor skills to fail. He had brain surgery at the end of July and they were staying with Rich and Rita during his recovery. Last but not least, sweet Reese had a successful eye surgery on June to help fix her vision.

Rich has not been able to go back to work yet, so they are trying to manage life on just Rita’s income. Rich had his scans done in September. The removal of the tumor from the nasopharynx was successful. However, the cancer has moved into the cranial nerve at the base of his skull. Since this was a different area and new tissue, radiation was an option for treatment. He will undergo radiation and immunotherapy (a drug that boosts up the immune system to fight cancer cells). The healing process has been a long road and still ongoing.

Between ALL of this, on one income, with kids going back to school, food costs, and all of their other bills… it is A LOT for any family, no matter how much support they have.

While their family has stayed quiet about these issues and struggles for so long... They have never asked for help. I have been granted permission for all of us to show how much we love and care about them by helping them remove any additional stressors that we can!

Any amount of donation and contribution would mean the world to their humble family. It adds up and the more we can come together to help, the easier this can be. If you have questions, please direct them to me (Leah) or leave a message below. Again, please respect the family and their wishes for privacy at this time. Thank you all for caring about this sweet family and doing as much as you can to support them, near or far!