GoFundMe Page Started to Support Family of Dad Battling Cancer
By Manotick Messenger Staff
A GoFundMe page has been started for a North Gower family that is in the grips of a horrible fight with cancer.
Peter Slater started the campaign for his brother, Rob, who has been fighting cancer for a little over two years. Rob is in his mid-30s. He and his wife Jessica have a 17-month-old daughter, and Jess is expecting their second daughter in early 2022. Unfortunately, Rob’s battle has taken a turn for the worse, and the focus has turned to palliative care to keep him comfortable and manage the pain.
“Every day we pray for just an ounce of good news from the doctors and every day we are met with the reality that our nightmare is closing in on us faster than we can comprehend,” Peter wrote Nov. 18. “The treatments that Rob has had up until now have done nothing to slow this monster down. The cancer continues to spread. So further treatments will not be happening.”
Peter explained in the GoFundMe page that in 2019, Rob, 34, went to the doctor to get an odd mole on his shoulder checked out. He was diagnosed with a very aggressive Nodular Melanoma that was spreading quickly.
In Jan. 2020, Rob had surgery to remove the cancerous mole and as much cancer as they could. That was followed up with aggressive radiation and chemo. Rob was doing well. In the spring of 2021, he was in remission and it looked like the battle was behind him. Rob and Jess decided to add another baby to their family, and she became pregnant.
But according to Peter, things took a tragic twist.
“Recently, Rob has not been feeling well… The monster was back with a vengeance and has spread to his brain and chest,” Peter wrote.
Rob’s license was taken away for medical reasons, which meant who could no longer work as his job depended on his ability to drive.
At that point, Peter started the GoFundMe page. “Life doesn’t stop just because you got a bad deal. Bills still need to be paid,” he wrote.
Since then, the situation has gotten worse quickly.
“Our direction has turned to palliative care for him, which is pain and symptom management and trying to keep him as comfortable as possible.”
Peter set the goal for the GoFundMe campaign at $25,000 for the family.
“There will be many expenses coming up with no insurance in place to cover them,” he wrote. “Their young family will be losing their second income permanently and Jess is off on early (maternity) leave.
“Savannah and her sister will be facing a future without Daddy, and Jess without her Robbie. I just want the best for them and the future that they deserve. This isn’t fair to anyone but even more so to these precious girls.”
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