The Colombe Family

Hello Everyone!

I want to start by introducing this amazing family we are trying to help through this Go Fund Me. The Colombe's. RJ, Nicole and Lucas.

RJ and Nicole will be celebrating 10 years of marriage this September. They've always maintained a strong relationship through many ups and downs and gotten through it all together. In April of 2017, they welcomed their miracle rainbow baby, Lucas.

This family's world was turned upside down in May of this year when the back pain RJ had been enduring over the last year was deemed cancer. The type was unknown, but we knew he suffered a fractured L1 due to two tumours pressing on his spine. From May until the present day, RJ has undergone many PET scans, MRI's, CT's, bone scans, biopsies and blood work. He was written off of work indefinitely while awaiting a proper diagnosis. Before diagnosis, RJ began radiation for pain control. On July 22, the biopsy confirmed the cancer was Multiple Myeloma. An incurable cancer with the hope of remission. While this particular cancer responds well to treatment and, on average, has a 4-5 year remission rate, there are high chances of it returning. The plan was to deal with the cancer treatment before surgery to fix his fractured spine. This all changed on July 31 when RJ was admitted to the hospital with paralyzing back pain. After another CT scan and MRI, it showed that the fracture had worsened tremendously, and the bones above and below the fracture had weakened. (this is very common in Multiple Myeloma patients). The spine was now crushing nerves which made any movement unbearable. The neurologist confirmed emergency surgery was the only option to decompress the spine. On August 3, RJ underwent invasive spinal surgery in which they repaired the fracture with screws and strengthened the bones above and below the fracture with cement. The surgeon was hopeful no future surgeries would be needed. Although the surgery was successful, this journey is far from over. Now a bone marrow biopsy is necessary to detect the cancer stage. Once complete, RJ will be starting treatment shortly after. He will remain in treatment for 4-6 months and then undergo a stem cell transplant in London. There will be a couple of trips to London before this procedure. In the meantime, there are many unknowns.

This family is the first family to offer a helping hand to anyone in need. They would give the shirts off their backs or the last $10 to their name if they knew it could help someone. I know I'm not alone in saying this family is one of a kind, and we are all better people by simply being in their presence. The positivity they continue to show during these uncertain times is incredibly brave and uplifting. RJ, Nicole and Lucas are so incredibly loved and supported by their family and so many friends and would never ask for help or even feel worthy of it, but the reality is that they need it. With RJ going onto long-term disability and being off for months already and Nicole trying to work full-time, care for Lucas and be by RJ's side through all of this is becoming impossible to catch up. The financial stress is piling up, and if we help to lift this one burden, it would be life-changing for them all. This is so much more than financial help, though. It will allow Nicole to breathe and not worry about picking up extra shifts to make more money to try and get by. She can focus on her family. Being by RJ's side and giving that sweet little boy the support he deserves as well.

RJ can get the rest he needs to kick this cancer's butt if he's not constantly worrying about his family getting by financially.

We are asking for help so that this family can focus on each other in this scary, uncertain time.

We, the family of these three incredible souls, thanks each and every one of you for reading their story. Sending love and health to you all.