Support Andy and Steph Ford Brain Tumor Awareness
Donation protected
Andy and Stephanie met on June 2, 2012 at a mutual friend's birthday party on a rooftop bar in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was love at first sip. Both originally from Wisconsin (yes, they are Packer fans), each came to Minneapolis for different reasons and ended up finding the rest of their lives downtown on a summer night (you can't beat a midwestern summer).
A couple of years later Andy suffered an unexpected seizure. On March 3, 2014 Andy was diagnosed with a Grade III Anaplastic Astrocytoma brain tumor.
On March 31, 2014, Andy underwent surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible. They were able to remove about 81% of the tumor. Following surgery he went through rigorous chemotherapy and radiation. Andy's acronym for his treatment? TTD, or Total Tumor Domination. Andy was in remission in the years following his TTD treatment.
Andy and Steph were married and bought a house in the fall of 2014. Andy's brain scan remained clear. From Andy's Caring Bridge journal, "Perfection is an impossible goal in life, but committing to Stephanie has brought me closer to it than I ever dreamed I would. We love being married." Andy and Steph welcomed their first child in November of 2016 and their second child in May of 2019.
In February of 2019, Andy began having "auras", which is similar to pre-seizure symptoms. These auras increased in frequency throughout the year. In December of 2019 Andy's MRI scan showed slow-growing tumor cells that had reached the point where they were irritating brain tissue and causing the auras. Andy, once again, underwent surgery. The pathology of the tumor cells removed from surgery showed the tumor had become a stage IV Glioblastoma. It was advised to do more chemotherapy and radiation and add a new therapy called an Optune. Despite Andy and Stephanie's efforts, the tumor did not respond to the chemo and radiation. There were also new tumors forming in the brain tissue.
As the last phase of TTD, Andy decided to enroll in a phase 1 clinical trial and become the first human to receive this therapy. The Study of CD200 Activation Receptor Ligand (CD200AR-L) and Allogeneic Tumor Lysate Vaccine Immunotherapy for Recurrent Glioblastoma. It's a mouthful. In layman's terms, it's a vaccine that breaks down the tumor wall in hopes that the immune system will start to kill or breakdown the tumor. Initial brain scans looked promising, but Andy has been declining.
Over the last 4 months, Andy's ability to function has been slowing declining and over the last few weeks has been rapidly declining. On May 21, 2021, Andy and Steph had to make the incredibly hard decision to transition Andy to hospice care. Despite Andy’s immense strength and determination, there are no further treatment options for his cancer. Andy will be transitioning to hospice to make what time he has left comfortable and pain free.
Andy and Steph have never asked for money. In fact, it was like pulling teeth to get Steph to agree to a GoFundMe page. As Andy's ability to perform daily functions has declined there have been unexpected costs associated with caring for him in new ways. He now needs a wheelchair, a ramp installed to the house, and various other medical supplies. There will be costs associated with the hospice care. They having been living without Andy's income for quite sometime and now Steph is unable to work as well. She is not only caring for Andy, but also for her 2 and 4 year old. When Andy passes, she will be navigating life as a single parent with one income. My whole heart wants to support this AMAZING family in any way I can. I can only give so much, so that's why I am asking you to show your love and support for Andy, Steph, Addison, and Llewyn with a donation today.
A little bit about Andy...
Andy works in photography and videography (a short little video made by him and colleagues linked below). He is infectiously positive and optimistic. As a friend described him, "Andy is THE MOST cheerful, happy person I've ever met. He is like a beam of positivity." He is funny, caring, and an amazing writer (Caring Bridge Journal linked below - mostly written by Andy).
A little bit about Steph...
Steph is a nurse in an Intensive Care Unit. Her most outstanding quality is her dry sense of humor. She is hilarious, but will deliver her punch line in the most deadpan manner. She is caring, kind (nurse, duh!), witty, and creative. She is also one of the strongest people I know. Throughout these difficult years she has remained unbelievably stoic. It has only been in the past couple of months that she has allowed herself to be vulnerable in this horrible situation.
https://vimeo.com/97489684/879d862b4d
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/andyford
A couple of years later Andy suffered an unexpected seizure. On March 3, 2014 Andy was diagnosed with a Grade III Anaplastic Astrocytoma brain tumor.
On March 31, 2014, Andy underwent surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible. They were able to remove about 81% of the tumor. Following surgery he went through rigorous chemotherapy and radiation. Andy's acronym for his treatment? TTD, or Total Tumor Domination. Andy was in remission in the years following his TTD treatment.
Andy and Steph were married and bought a house in the fall of 2014. Andy's brain scan remained clear. From Andy's Caring Bridge journal, "Perfection is an impossible goal in life, but committing to Stephanie has brought me closer to it than I ever dreamed I would. We love being married." Andy and Steph welcomed their first child in November of 2016 and their second child in May of 2019.
In February of 2019, Andy began having "auras", which is similar to pre-seizure symptoms. These auras increased in frequency throughout the year. In December of 2019 Andy's MRI scan showed slow-growing tumor cells that had reached the point where they were irritating brain tissue and causing the auras. Andy, once again, underwent surgery. The pathology of the tumor cells removed from surgery showed the tumor had become a stage IV Glioblastoma. It was advised to do more chemotherapy and radiation and add a new therapy called an Optune. Despite Andy and Stephanie's efforts, the tumor did not respond to the chemo and radiation. There were also new tumors forming in the brain tissue.
As the last phase of TTD, Andy decided to enroll in a phase 1 clinical trial and become the first human to receive this therapy. The Study of CD200 Activation Receptor Ligand (CD200AR-L) and Allogeneic Tumor Lysate Vaccine Immunotherapy for Recurrent Glioblastoma. It's a mouthful. In layman's terms, it's a vaccine that breaks down the tumor wall in hopes that the immune system will start to kill or breakdown the tumor. Initial brain scans looked promising, but Andy has been declining.
Over the last 4 months, Andy's ability to function has been slowing declining and over the last few weeks has been rapidly declining. On May 21, 2021, Andy and Steph had to make the incredibly hard decision to transition Andy to hospice care. Despite Andy’s immense strength and determination, there are no further treatment options for his cancer. Andy will be transitioning to hospice to make what time he has left comfortable and pain free.
Andy and Steph have never asked for money. In fact, it was like pulling teeth to get Steph to agree to a GoFundMe page. As Andy's ability to perform daily functions has declined there have been unexpected costs associated with caring for him in new ways. He now needs a wheelchair, a ramp installed to the house, and various other medical supplies. There will be costs associated with the hospice care. They having been living without Andy's income for quite sometime and now Steph is unable to work as well. She is not only caring for Andy, but also for her 2 and 4 year old. When Andy passes, she will be navigating life as a single parent with one income. My whole heart wants to support this AMAZING family in any way I can. I can only give so much, so that's why I am asking you to show your love and support for Andy, Steph, Addison, and Llewyn with a donation today.
A little bit about Andy...
Andy works in photography and videography (a short little video made by him and colleagues linked below). He is infectiously positive and optimistic. As a friend described him, "Andy is THE MOST cheerful, happy person I've ever met. He is like a beam of positivity." He is funny, caring, and an amazing writer (Caring Bridge Journal linked below - mostly written by Andy).
A little bit about Steph...
Steph is a nurse in an Intensive Care Unit. Her most outstanding quality is her dry sense of humor. She is hilarious, but will deliver her punch line in the most deadpan manner. She is caring, kind (nurse, duh!), witty, and creative. She is also one of the strongest people I know. Throughout these difficult years she has remained unbelievably stoic. It has only been in the past couple of months that she has allowed herself to be vulnerable in this horrible situation.
https://vimeo.com/97489684/879d862b4d
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/andyford
Organizer and beneficiary
Emily Johnson
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN
Stephanie Ford
Beneficiary