FRANK WILSON'S FIGHT AGAINST CANCER

May the peace and blessing of God be with you all.

My name is Joy Dalit-Wilson, and I am the primary caregiver for my husband, Frank Wilson, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment. I decided to join Go Fund Me to seek financial support and prayers for my husband so that he may continue his treatment to overcome his battle with cancer and eventually receive the reconstructive surgery that he needs to be able to get back to his normal life.

It was June 21, 2023, Frank was diagnosed with recurring Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the mouth, Stage IV-A. In September 2023, the doctor gave him a maximum of thirty (30) days to live, but with God’s mercy, he passed that critical period. On May 16, 2024, Frank’s PET scan showed that the tumor mass on his face had been reduced and no distal lesions suggestive of metastatic disease had been identified. This was the greatest news we have ever heard since he was diagnosed. Thank God for his mercy and answered prayers.

Frank is currently non-verbal, PEG tube and tracheostomy dependent, and wound care service dependent. Through God’s divine intervention, Frank was able to overcome the hard battle last year and is determined to face the next challenge of this year—to be cancer-free. His oncologist and surgeons are hopeful that he can become clear of cancer if he continues his treatment religiously and gets reconstructive surgery after.

This year-long battle with cancer has impacted every aspect of our family—emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially. His health insurance does not cover all the medical treatment and supplies he needs; hence, we must live on our savings for a year now, which is close to depletion.

Through your generous and kind donation, Frank will be able to continue his treatment plan with Pembrolizumab Keytruda infusion (every 42 days) and Erbitux-Cetuximab infusion (every two weeks).

I can see that my husband can be one of those cancer survivors to get his life back, to become a witness that no one is alone in this cancer battle and a living testimony of God’s goodness in everyone’s heart.

Thank you in advance and may God’s overflowing blessings be with you all.

Hereunder is a short narrative of Frank’s cancer battle:

On June 21st of last year, Frank was diagnosed with recurring squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth, stage IV-A. The cancer is so aggressive that the surgeons had to halt the scheduled surgery mid surgery, because they could not find any safe margins to ensure his safety. Frank’s tumor on the right side of his face and neck was the size of a cauliflower that covered his chin, lower lip, and part of the right side of his neck. Inside the mouth, the tumor grows at the base of the tongue. The ENT installed a PEG tube, a feeding tube that delivers nutrition to the stomach through the abdomen, and a tracheostomy tube, a hole in the neck to help him breathe.

Frank was turned over to an oncologist for systemic treatment and started immunotherapy with Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and the new study drug INV-ALX148, they also gave him morphine and opioids for pain management.

For the first six months of his treatment, Frank experienced a high-volume, foul-smelling tumor, bleeding, and even life-threatening hemorrhage with the ongoing oral cancer progression, which led him to the emergency hospital several times for blood transfusions and IR embolization on the tumor site. With that, his surgeon gave him thirty (30) days to live.

Due to the continued progression of his tumor, his systemic treatment was changed to immunotherapy, Pembrolizumab (Keytruda), and six cycles of chemotherapy, Carboplatin (PARAplatin) and Fluorouracil (ADRUCIL) until January 8, 2024. During his chemotherapy, his tumor continued to grow on the left side of his face, like the size of a golf ball. Hence, after the 6th cycle of chemotherapy, Frank underwent radiation therapy treatment from February 1 to March 13, 2024, in addition to immunotherapy.

Along with the cancer treatment, Frank had to deal daily with the proper care of and nutrition administration through his PEG tube, care for his tracheostomy with a suction machine and humidifier, and wound care from the tumor necrosis to keep it from infection. He was also admitted to the hospital several times for the underlying chemo and immunotherapy treatments.

On May 16, 2024, Frank’s PET scan showed that the tumor mass in the face had been significantly reduced and no distal lesions suggestive of metastatic disease had been identified. However, this does not mean that Frank is already cancer-free. He still has swelling inside the mouth, and both the oncologist and reconstructive surgeon agreed to continue his cancer treatment and observe for another year to see if the cancer will not recur. The Oncologist recommended that Frank continue his treatment with Pembrolizumab Keytruda infusion (every 42 days) and Erbitux-Cetuximab infusion (every two weeks).