Getting into your car to go to work should be a simple, everyday task—uninterrupted and painless. For 41-year-old Phillip Paetzold, that everyday task turned into a nightmare when he suddenly lost all function on one side of his body while getting into his car. That loss of function began a 13-year journey that no one should have to endure.
In 2010, the Mechanicsburg resident was a healthy family man who was loving life with his wife Keri and his two daughters, two-year-old Madelyn and a newborn, Olivia. In an instant, life changed for the young family when they had to prepare for a new battle--finding answers and a diagnosis for Phil’s unexpected immobility.
The family’s search for answers eventually led them to the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center where Phil was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. Since 2010, Phil has had MRIs every three months and four surgeries on his brain to keep the tumor in check. Then, five years ago a seizure which led to cardiac arrest nearly cost Phil his life. And still, Phil Paetzold soldiers on . . . for his wife . . . for his daughters . . . for himself. “Phil pushes on for the girls and I,” Keri said, adding that he wants to be there for his family in any way he can.
The family has remained steadfast in their quest for stability and hope. Phil is a fighter, and after his original diagnosis, he continued to work for seven years at the Bonefish Grill in Mechanicsburg and other jobs around the area. But when cancer is involved, the road is always rocky and the journey is never easy.
Phil’s tenacity was tested once more when two years ago, doctors discovered that the tumor had progressed to Stage IV brain cancer. The family is no stranger to the effects of cancer. They welcomed their third daughter, Paige, five years ago. Paige was named after a cousin of Keri’s who lost a battle with brain cancer at 16-years-old.
Unfortunately, Phil has been unable to work for several months now because of the side effects of the intensive, experimental immuno-therapy that helps his body fight off the tumor. The immuno-therapy is in addition to chemotherapy treatments every 56 days that Phil receives through a port in his chest.
Keri works at a pre-school that provides a schedule allowing her to take care of Phil and the kids and keep a job. While many families struggle to pay monthly bills, it is hard to imagine the financial burden that families accept with a cancer diagnosis. For over a decade, the Paetzolds have faced mounting debt from medical bills to cover unin- sured therapies and treatments to keep Phil alive and out of pain. That’s the reality of cancer.
Keri and Phil’s children have grown up knowing no other way of life, and they carry the burden of their dad’s illness. The physical and emotional impact of cancer has taken its toll on the entire family, but it is especially hard on the children, who un- derstand more about their dad’s diagnosis as they grow older. Keri is reminded daily of the strain on her family and does her best to stay strong for both her husband and her children, relying at times on the help of neighbors who have become good friends and other family members.
“You learn to go on day by day, and do the best you can,” Keri said. Phil has remained at Hershey Medical Center throughout his treatment, where Keri says the doctors have been “phenomenal.”
Also a bright spot at the hospital is Sandra Ryan, Phil’s oncology nurse. Sandra has continued to provide hope and comfort for the family, and it was her constant persuasion that led the family to contact Vickie’s Angel Foundation because, as Keri says, “she knew they would help us.”
“I had never felt more cared about from people I had never met,” Keri said. “That little bit of stress relief from Vickie’s Angel Foundation paying some bills made me feel like I could breathe for five minutes.” That’s the type of calming reassurance and hope that Vickie’s Angel Foundation provides, and your generous gift can help us continue our mission of being a beacon of hope to families dealing with cancer.
The foundation helped the family with their mortgage, household expenses, and car insurance, along with gift cards for food, and gas to lessen the expensive burden of transportation to treatment. Small things like stopping for groceries or filling your tank with gas become enormous when shouldering debt from cancer medications and treatments.
Keri and Phil’s story is one of perseverance and courage, but also one of hope and gratitude. Let’s not allow cancer to rob this family or any other of precious time together. Your donation can help make cancer easier to endure for patients like Phil and their families who are fighting a long battle. While we may not be their only hope, in some cases, we are their last one.