Meet the Wheeler Family. Casey and Angie live in Syracuse Utah
with their two children Max and Tenley.
In May 2011, Casey was diagnosed with
grade three anaplastic astrocytoma brain cancer, and needed a tumor the size of
a golf ball removed from the right side of his brain.
Though all family was
understandably concerned, Casey and Angie showed great optimism and faith
through the diagnosis and procedure. After surgery, chemo, and radiation
therapy, Casey was doing good battling cancer and loving his life with his
family.
About a year later, and only a month after he stopped chemo,
Casey's checkup MRI showed a spot in his brain growing. He underwent an
additional surgery to remove more cancerous growth from his brain, and
continued with an increased regimen of radiation therapy and infusions since
chemo was no longer working.
Over the past 6 months the procedures have taken a great toll on Casey's body, leaving him exhausted and susceptible to infections. He and Angie have spent countless days and weeks in and out of the hospital fighting for Casey's life. Not only his battle with cancer, but fighting a severe staph infection and pneumonia as well. The cancer has now spread to multiple inoperable spots in his brain.
With no options left and a week before Christmas 2013, they
decided to drive him to California to see an alternative treatment doctor
specializing in Eastern medicine to help detoxify his body and boost his immune
system so he could continue to try and fight. His treatment went well, but his
health has been a roller coaster ride. Better one day and worse the next,
finally they decided to take him to the hospital. Casey has been in a
California hospital for 9 days now, and continues to have new complications,
but is still fighting!
Now they are trying so badly to bring Casey back home to be with
his family. Their
insurance has denied the family’s requests for medical transportation
by air and ground to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in SLC, Utah. This
location offers the specialized doctor which is not available at the
current California facility and who also has been overseeing Casey’s
care and treatment from the beginning. With no choice but to pay out of pocket for the medical air transportation,
Casey will hopefully be heading back home within the next 24 hours if all goes
well.
The Wheeler's are people of great faith. They have the knowledge that, even
when we are separated in life by death, that one day we will see each other
again, because families are eternal.
We have
set up an account if you would like to donate to help Casey's travel/medical expenses
to come home. Any support will be a huge help in the well being of this family!
Please help us to spread the word to any you may think would be willing to
donate!
Update: Casey was picked up by the medical air crew at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Monday, December 30, 2013, for transport to SLC, UT.
