Monthly Cruise-Ins

March & April
     These cruise-ins were for Tim Taylor of Newton.  Tim has throat cancer; (Supraglottic Cancer - which begins in the upper portion of the larynx and includes cancer that affects the epiglottis, which is a piece of cartilage that blocks food from going into your windpipe).  At one point the doctors thought that they were going to have to insert a feeding tube because Tim had not drunk or ate for 8 days.  Tim lost a total of 48 pounds in a matter of a month.  After several differents rounds of medical treatment Tim started to make improvements and didn't have to have the feeding tube, but since his tonsil had burst he now has 3 spots on his lung that may be cancer as well.  Tim has since been back to the doctor and was told by the doctor that he was as good as a million dollars.  We raised $317.00 in March and $325.00 in April.  Since Tim is doing so well he as donated his April monies back to our benefactor for May, Ashley Dare Smith - 7 years old.
May
       This cruise-in was held for Ashley Dare Smith - 7 year old with a Lytic Lesion with Angioma.  Ashley had Craniectomy & Cranioplasty Surgery on April 14, 2009 at Brenner's Children Hospital (WFMC Baptist).  She has a bone producing tumor growing rapidly in the bone of the frontal / partial region of the skull.  The surgeon  will test malignancy of growth after removal.  This area and the adjacent area will be covered by a split thickness graft.  This area will be very thin so she will not be able to run, play, swim, etc.  Her recovery time will be around 3 - 6 months.  We raised $250.00; with the donation from Tim Taylor, our April benefactor, we raised at Total of $575.00.
June
     This cruise will be held for William (Bill) Berryhill - 70 year old Cancer Patient.  After retiring in 2004 Bill's wife Nancy pasted away & he was left with thousands of dollars of medical bills.  Bill was forced to go back to work to pay the bills.  In April 2006 he had a heart attack & had a kidney removed.  Upon removal of the kidney the doctors also removed 2 large tumors and they also saw a spot on his lung.  They let him heal from surgery and ran more tests only to find spots on the other kidney.  After running more tests the doctors decided to start him on chemo pills.  Bill took the pills for several months and went off of them when the doctors discovered more spots on the lung.  He is now taking another type of chemo pill, but the pills are expensive & cost around $3,000 - $4,000.  Bill has to go to the doctor once a week for blood work and to keep a check on the cancer spots on his lung.