It Takes A Village: Help Michael Fight Melanoma

Family and Friends,

Recently a friend of mine received a diagnosis that would change his life and the life of those around him.

Michael enjoyed spending time outdoors. You could find him either in his kayak or down the trails of the Ocala National Forest with Jango by his side. He is very present in his work life, leading his office as General Manager. He and his son Jonah have talked about spending time together traveling to various areas. Michael has many friends in the community and is known for his loyalty and respect for those around him. If you know Michael, you know he is not one to come out and ask for help but is the first to be there for you when you need an ear to listen. Now as his friend, I am reaching out to the community for help.

In September of 2023, Michael was diagnosed with Stage three Melanoma. The cancer metastasized and took over the lymph nodes under his left arm. He started Immunotherapy right away.

Michael received the news in early January 2024 that the cancer was no longer responding to his current care plan. After further testing, Michael was told on April 18th that the cancer had further spread and was very active. The doctors found there three areas of his chest. These areas will be biopsied in the next few weeks. Currently, Michael is still in stage three, however, he is facing the possibility of stage four.

There are few treatment options for Melanoma at this stage, his specialist is now pushing for Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes Therapy Otherwise known as TIL Therapy. This new treatment is very costly – the estimated total cost is $500,000 and is not guaranteed to be fully covered by Insurance. Til Therapy requires a series of tests and procedures to be done, as well as a 2–3-week hospitalization to administer the therapy. Currently, Michael has been experiencing the harsh side effects of his ongoing treatments.

This has made it difficult to live his normal day-to-day life. We are pushing for the TIL Therapy process to begin to see if this treatment is a better fit. We have created this fundraiser to raise money for Michael to help offset medical expenses, and living costs and provide a small peace of mind as he undergoes further life-prolonging treatments. We also have begun meal prepping for Michael to help take the burden off him. Please don’t think that any amount of money is too small. Michael needs all the support we can provide monetarily or through thoughts and prayer.

It truly takes a village.