Hi everyone,
I am wondering if anyone knows who at the University I could possibly contact regarding soliciting small donations of basketball tickets, memorabilia, or the like. My sister and I are currently planning a fundraiser for my parents, to help pay for some very heavy medical bills resulting from my father's cancer treatment and surgeries.
My dad, a big Marquette fan (if only because I chose to go there), was diagnosed with colon cancer in August of 2009, about two weeks before I was set to start law school. The tumor was so advanced that he needed immediate surgery to shorten his large intestine and remove the tumor and surrounding lymph nodes. The first surgery was successful in removing the tumor, but the intestine was so badly damaged, he needed a second surgery before the stitches held his intestine together. It took weeks to get his digestive functioning back, and had to stay in the hospital until Halloween.
After he recovered from the surgery, he underwent chemotherapy, and in surprise to us, was given a “cancer free” billing following the completion of chemo! Unfortunately, as I’m sure many of you know all too well, it’s a disease that always risks recurrence, and in August of 2010, two more tumors were discovered, one on each lung. A surgeon successfully removed the first tumor, but he contracted MRSA during his recovery, and was subject to another very long hospital stay. The infection got much, much worse, and although he is recovering, the wound is still not healed, over a year later.
Again, he was told he was cancer free, only to be told this past July that two more tumors again appeared on his lungs. A radiation oncologist is optimistic the tumors can be removed with radiation therapy, which he is currently undergoing.
The surgeon later told us that he didn't expect him to live through that first surgery, but with the love of family and friends is still living a great life and hopes to become “cancer free” once again. Again, as I’m sure many of you know, the entire process has taken huge emotional and financial tolls on the family. Thankfully, my dad has kept his job through this, but the medical bills have still been overwhelming. My parents would never ask for help, so my sister and I are planning a fundraiser to help raise money so they don’t need to burn through their retirement in order to keep up with the bills. We’re going to have a get-together with all of our family and extended networks of friends in November to watch a Packer’s game and hopefully have a silent auction. I’ve found a hall that has kindly donated their space, and I’m currently soliciting donations for the silent auction.
I was wondering if anyone knew who I could contact at Marquette to enquire about donations of basketball tickets, gear, or other University stuff that they might be willing to make. This is not something I am used to, and asking for things is not fun. I just want to try and do best by the parents who always supported me. The day I got into Marquette was one of their proudest days, and it would mean a lot to have a Marquette presence at this event.
If anyone has any information, please feel free to send me a private message. If anyone wants any more information, I’d be happy to give you my phone number or private email address. Thank you, God bless, and keep us in your prayers!
