A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support Rod Gust, a local man who has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.
Darin Schlingmann organized the campaign, called One Last Chance for Rod Gust. As of Wednesday at noon, it had raised $13,460, with support from 114 donors.
Schlingmann noted that on June 2, Gust was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. It started in his esophagus, making him painfully sick and preventing him from keeping food down.
“Perhaps nothing shows the destruction that cancer has on the body more than dramatic weight loss over a short period of time,” Schlingmann wrote. “It can turn a strong, healthy body fragile in short order. The weight loss from not being capable of consuming solid foods totalled 84 lbs.”
Twenty-three radiation and six chemotherapy treatments later, the cancer continued to aggressively grow and expand. The cancer has reached his liver and the medical community in Canada has conceded that there is nothing that they can do for him and he has not long to live.
There is an option to get out-of-country treatment, however, it is not a cure. He will need immediate treatment (the faster the treatment, the more effective it is) and a lot of luck. He is 57 now and it may prolong his life into his 60s.
The cost of expenses and treatment will be approximately $25,000. Schlingmann said it is expensive and not guaranteed to work.
“I'm sure that some of you are asking whether it is worth the cost, time, effort and potential emotional devastation of losing another fight to a disease that has won every battle against him so far,” Schlingmann wrote. “But if you ask Rod, as he is faced with the harsh reality that he has nothing left to lose – the answer is yes, he has one last fight left in him.
“If you can contribute anything to help him in this fight, it would be greatly appreciated.”
You can visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/possible-life-saving-treatment-for-rod to support the campaign.
