Support Johnny's Fight Against Brain Cancer

Over the next two months – and possibly longer – Johnny will be receiving daily radiation and an aggressive round of chemotherapy. At this point surgery to remove the tumor is not an option as it is too close to his cerebellum. Both Molly and Johnny will need to be at the Mayo Clinic throughout this treatment. His parents, brother, and other family members will be helping as well, as they have been through this whole ordeal. On top of what will surely be a grueling treatment, both Molly and Johnny’s lives will need to conform to living in Rochester. This financial goal aligns with the immediate expenses Johnny and Molly will face in coming months, including increased COBRA insurance payments, living expenses in Rochester, and lost wages. Our goal is to lighten at least the financial burden this crisis presents. As anyone who knows them well understands, asking for this kind of help is uncomfortable for them, which is why we're doing so on their behalf. They are so grateful for your support. We will keep this community updated on their needs as we learn more. For now, please donate what you can and encourage others to do the same.

Johnny's story...

To know Johnny is to love him. Everyone who crosses paths with him knows him to be one of the kindest and sweetest guys around. His gentle nature and beautiful spirit radiate from within. He is now battling the scariest battle of his life, and it is time for those who love him to try to support him and his wife, Molly, as best we can.

Early in the fall of this year, shortly after Molly was battling a Covid-like virus, Johnny began experiencing strange symptoms that they both attributed to a virus. He had tingling on the left side of his face as well as some numbness and lack of taste. He was referred to an ENT specialist and underwent a CT scan, which was normal. A few weeks later he underwent an MRI which showed a lesion and inflammation at the brainstem region of his brain. Rather than waiting to go to another specialist, and at the urging of Dr Browne on Madeline Island, he checked into Duluth Essentia ER in hopes of being seen by the neurology department. Essentia Duluth admitted him for 5 days where he underwent many cancer screenings and spinal taps to rule out everything including infectious diseases and autoimmune conditions such as MS. They did learn that he was showing a recent COVID-19 infection. They sent him home with a high-dose steroid regimen and ordered a follow-up MRI. Molly and Johnny at this time assumed it was COVID-related. A few weeks later, the follow-up MRI showed no change, and the infectious disease panels were negative. Duluth then sent in a referral to the Mayo Clinic and to the University of Utah.

As the weeks went by waiting for the referral appointments, Johnny's symptoms worsened, including balance and vision issues. Johnny sought emergency care at the Mayo Clinic in hopes of being admitted sooner rather than waiting for the referral appointment. After a few more tests and scans, on November 27th, the team at Mayo decided to conduct a brain biopsy of the cerebellum region where the lesion was located. The Neurosurgical and pathology team confirmed that evening that it was what we were fearing, a Glioma tumor. Johnny and his loved ones learned the official diagnosis of cancer to be a Grade 3 Astrocytoma on December 10th- an aggressive brain tumor located at the base of his nervous system around his cerebellum. This diagnosis is a shock.

Just a few months ago Johnny and Molly were living their normal and happy lives on Madeline Island- renovating their home, going for swims, going on bike rides to their favorite beach on Friday evenings, walking and playing with their silly cats Charlie and Coconut, and enjoying their beautiful life together with their family and friends. They were excited for the fall to begin planning their yearly trek to Salt Lake City where Johnny would teach skiing for his 19th season at Alta Ski Resort. Johnny loves the Wasatch mountains and Alta fiercely and misses them tremendously. Those mountains are just as much his home as Madeline Island/Lake Superior. He shines extra brightly when he is on the slopes. The physical symptoms he is currently enduring are not only awful for any human but especially awful for someone as fit and active as Johnny.

Johnny and Molly are old souls who found each other many years ago in the chaos that is life. They are both humble and silly and filled with love. They always lead with empathy for others, a helping hand, and a strong sense of community on Madeline Island, in Utah, and in the Twin Cities. It is with that feeling and the knowledge that they would help anyone whom they could, that we now lift them up with love and support in their time of need.

And yes, Johnny loves cats! That's one of the many reasons why we love him so much!