Team Jerry - Unite Against Cancer- Round Two

I thought the hardest words to hear were “You have Cancer”, but now I believe “Your Cancer is back” trumps. I know the hardest reaction is to ask for help, support, prayers and positive energy but that is what I am here doing today with this fundraiser to help with the costs of treatment for my brother in law Jerry Iacono.

Jerry is 65 years old, a father to Lauren, Allie, and Matthew and a loving husband to my sister Susan.

Jerry has been in my life since I was a teenager. He and Susan were just

“Friends” but I watched that friendship bloom into love. Back then we only owned one phone with a long cord attached to the wall and it was always a race to reach it first. If Jerry was on the other end it didn’t matter who answered because he took the time to say hello, made you feel important and as time went on, loved. Although phones have changed, Jerry has not.

Jerry loves baseball (was a team player at City College), the NY Yankees, singing Frank Sinatra songs and being with his family especially when food is involved. He started working for UPS in college and during his 41 years there made many lifelong friends. Jerry is a workaholic so no one was surprised when he accepted an offer to work closely with the Boys and Girls Club just two days before he was scheduled to retire.

Finally in 2018 he hung up his work shoes and decided sneakers were a great fit. After so many years of volunteering for the NYC Marathon he began training to be a participant and was proud because as he says, he did it “my way”. He read a book and followed the training guidelines daily slowly building stamina and endurance for the long miles ahead. On that beautiful November morning we all cheered him on until he crossed the finish line. He did it, at 63 years old, as a first time runner he finished the NYC Marathon!! He was in the best shape of his life…or so we thought.

Just three months later in February of 2020 Jerry was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma in his throat and tonsils (never having smoked or drank). Sloan Kettering was set to begin a treatment plan but due to the Covid 19 pandemic they stopped seeing patients. Jerry and his family packed up two cars and began driving to Texas while texting MD Anderson and praying they would accept him. Because they were traveling from New York a/k/a “ground zero”, they had to first quarantine for 14 long days. Once examined Jerry was told his Cancer was very aggressive and had spread to his soft palate and the base of his tongue.They offered radiation as a treatment saying it had a 95% cure rate. Jerry underwent 33 rounds of radiation & 6 rounds of chemo.

On June 5, 2020 he rang the bell signaling the end of his treatment. After months of painful recovery he was able to make the long drive back home to Nesconset, New York. Every 3 months following Covid protocols they returned to MD Anderson in Texas where he was tested. Every 3 months for two years he was told he was NED (no evidence of disease). In between testing he vacationed with his family, enjoyed holidays, ate, learned to cook fabulous meals, laughed, sang and celebrated life. Then on July 13, 2022 Cancer reared its ugly head, again.

This devastating diagnosis was accompanied with the news that surgery and radiation were not an option. The dr’s said chemo “may” shrink the tumor, will destroy his immune system but would not kill the cancer. Jerry and Susan then drove to The Moffit Cancer Center in Florida for a second opinion where they concurred his cancer was incurable using the present medical community Standard of Care.

Jerry began seeing Integrative medical doctors who use conventional medical care with individualized treatments and therapies. Jerry’s blood was drawn and his cancer cluster cells were tested in a German lab to see what drugs his specific cancer cells were sensitive to. They found that Methotrexate (a chemo agent & immune-system suppressant) was 83% effective and should be taken along with the other drugs and supplements in his new protocol. These drugs are FDA approved but because they are not considered Standard of Care (offered in general to cancer patients) it is not covered by insurance. This costly protocol is his last hope and will be ongoing to fight his Cancer.

Jerry is still in Florida fighting his fight with frequent ER hospital visits. The side effects of his radiation treatment caused damage to his jaw, teeth and mouth tissue . He has ringing in his ear and narrowed arteries in his neck. This tumor makes it impossible for him to swallow, eat and breathe. On September 15th, he had a feeding tube inserted in his stomach and on September 27th, the eve of hurricane Ian he had an emergency tracheotomy.

Susan and Matt provide round the clock medical care purchasing all the equipment and supplies medically necessary to sustain Jerry. They follow the hourly protocol in addition to providing supplements that must be prepared and administered through the feeding tube. The trachea tube has to be suctioned to free it from phlegm so he can breathe. Because the tube became obstructed and Jerry was unable to breathe Matt performed an emergency removal of the trachea tube and replaced it with a new one from the emergency kit. It should be noted that he is not in the medical field, he is in the film industry. He and his siblings have all placed their lives on hold to give 100% support, love and care to their dad.

Jerry is given nebulizer treatments, topical ointments for open sores and a myriad of other treatments. All the while the equipment must be cleaned, fresh vegetables purchased daily for juicing, endless amounts of bedding and towels cleaned and replaced. This falls on Allie, Lauren and other family who come almost daily to visit and help. The days are long and the nights endless with 3 shifts of either Susan, Matt, Allie or Lauren laying next to Jerry to ensure he doesn’t choke or stop breathing throughout the night. He can’t sleep for more than minutes at a time because he is constantly coughing and fighting for breath. The tumor now makes it impossible for Jerry to speak. He uses a white board to continuously express his love and thankfulness for what everyone is doing. He tells us to chin up and asks us not to worry.

I am sitting here at their dining room table with tears in my eyes watching my exhausted sister with her head on Jerry’s shoulder and his kids getting everything ready for the next treatment while therapeutic music plays in the background. I feel small, helpless and humble as I reach out asking for help to ease in the smallest way their financial burden. Unfortunately money is a huge factor in getting treatment for his type of Cancer. I know Jerry will never forgive me for reaching out and I’m sorry Jerry but I do this with love. He is not one to ask for any help but is always the first to give. I am asking for prayers, light and financial support in any amount to help pay for his treatment. I ask for love, kindness and no judgment as he fights the fight of his life. Jerry is weak of body but strong in faith and heart. He will cross the finish line.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to hear his story and for your generosity and support.

Carolyn