Scott DeShong - "Say No To Cancer" Fund
Donation protected
Where do I begin.......... Scott is my best friend. We have been through a lot in 45 years; lots of good times and a few bad, but we always have remained the best of friends through it all. Scott is the type of person who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He has been there for me too many times in my life to count, which is why I need to be here for him now as he is in the fight of his life - for his life. Scott was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in the early 2000's. He went through surgery and recovered having to take medication daily from that day forward. He dodged a bullet, or so we thought.
In 2013 he and I split a season ticket package for the Eagles (Go Birds!). We went to the Thursday night game against Kansas City - Andy Reid's first game back in Philly and the night they retired Donovan McNabb's number. The Eagles lost, but it was a great night! After the game on the drive out of the parking lot Scott said I have something to tell you - I have been diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer called Follicular Lymphoma. Of course I was in shock and said why didn't you tell me earlier? His answer: "I didn't want it to ruin the game for us tonight". That in a nutshell describes the type of person he is. Always thinking about other people first.
Over the course of a few years, Scott underwent some surgeries and radiation treatments in battling his cancer and was successful in his fight. The doctors were able to get him into remission in the spring of 2016. In 2017 and 2018 he received good results on his pet scans. In the late summer of 2019 Scott started having some complications again. In October of 2019 he was admitted to the hospital and the doctors told him the cancer was back. He started numerous rounds of chemotherapy and radiation and spent several months in the hospital over the next 10 months. He eventually had to go on long term disability through his work. During that time he found out his cancer had transformed to a more aggressive form and he was not responding to the chemotherapy and radiation treatments as hoped. So in August of 2020 Scott went in for T-cell therapy treatment. Approximately 4 days post transplant of his T-cells Scott suffered a stroke. Another week following his stroke, it was discovered a tumor had perforated his bowels and he required immediate surgery to save his life. They had to remove a portion of his intestine. He made it through the surgery but was placed on a feeding tube and a colostomy bag. During this time he has not been able to walk as a result of his condition. He has a long road ahead of him to recovery.
The good news is the doctors told Scott he is once again in remission! The bad news is his place of employment extended his disability only until November 1st, 2020. There is no guarantee he will be able to get back to work, and he may lose his job and his health benefits. His wife has not been working in order to help care for him and also reduce the amount of people she interacts with because of Coronavirus; Scott is at high risk. Subsequently, their income has suffered greatly over the past year. In an effort to reduce costs, they moved in with Scott's mother-in-law and were trying to sell their house. Right as the home was going onto the market, Coronavirus hit and shut everything down. The home to-date has still not sold.
Our goal of $10,000.00 is to give Scott and his family enough supplementary funds to carry them for several months while he recovers and they can eventually get their home sold. I am trying to alleviate any undo stresses on him, his wife Jen, and especially his 13 year old daughter Katie, who is the love of his life. I want them to worry about nothing but Scott's recovery and spending as much time together as possible. Anything you can give to help his family get through this difficult time is greatly appreciated. I know many people are struggling right now and may not be able to give, so prayers and well wishes are also greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Todd
In 2013 he and I split a season ticket package for the Eagles (Go Birds!). We went to the Thursday night game against Kansas City - Andy Reid's first game back in Philly and the night they retired Donovan McNabb's number. The Eagles lost, but it was a great night! After the game on the drive out of the parking lot Scott said I have something to tell you - I have been diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer called Follicular Lymphoma. Of course I was in shock and said why didn't you tell me earlier? His answer: "I didn't want it to ruin the game for us tonight". That in a nutshell describes the type of person he is. Always thinking about other people first.
Over the course of a few years, Scott underwent some surgeries and radiation treatments in battling his cancer and was successful in his fight. The doctors were able to get him into remission in the spring of 2016. In 2017 and 2018 he received good results on his pet scans. In the late summer of 2019 Scott started having some complications again. In October of 2019 he was admitted to the hospital and the doctors told him the cancer was back. He started numerous rounds of chemotherapy and radiation and spent several months in the hospital over the next 10 months. He eventually had to go on long term disability through his work. During that time he found out his cancer had transformed to a more aggressive form and he was not responding to the chemotherapy and radiation treatments as hoped. So in August of 2020 Scott went in for T-cell therapy treatment. Approximately 4 days post transplant of his T-cells Scott suffered a stroke. Another week following his stroke, it was discovered a tumor had perforated his bowels and he required immediate surgery to save his life. They had to remove a portion of his intestine. He made it through the surgery but was placed on a feeding tube and a colostomy bag. During this time he has not been able to walk as a result of his condition. He has a long road ahead of him to recovery.
The good news is the doctors told Scott he is once again in remission! The bad news is his place of employment extended his disability only until November 1st, 2020. There is no guarantee he will be able to get back to work, and he may lose his job and his health benefits. His wife has not been working in order to help care for him and also reduce the amount of people she interacts with because of Coronavirus; Scott is at high risk. Subsequently, their income has suffered greatly over the past year. In an effort to reduce costs, they moved in with Scott's mother-in-law and were trying to sell their house. Right as the home was going onto the market, Coronavirus hit and shut everything down. The home to-date has still not sold.
Our goal of $10,000.00 is to give Scott and his family enough supplementary funds to carry them for several months while he recovers and they can eventually get their home sold. I am trying to alleviate any undo stresses on him, his wife Jen, and especially his 13 year old daughter Katie, who is the love of his life. I want them to worry about nothing but Scott's recovery and spending as much time together as possible. Anything you can give to help his family get through this difficult time is greatly appreciated. I know many people are struggling right now and may not be able to give, so prayers and well wishes are also greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Todd
Organizer and beneficiary
Todd Whiteman
Organizer
Limerick, PA
Jennifer DeShong
Beneficiary