PARKER, Pa. (EYT) — A Parker man is battling a rare form of cancer, and his family is hoping the community can come together for a fundraising event.
Paul Brewer, 60, a Walmart truck driver for almost 23 years, was on the road last October when he was feeling poorly and went to a local hospital. Brewer found out he has Cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) which is a very rare form of cancer that only 8,000 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed.
According to his daughter, Chrystal Thompson, when her dad found out about his cancer, it had metastasized to his liver, lungs, and bones, and he was given a terminal diagnosis.
“My dad was only given three months to live after he was diagnosed, but he’s still having chemotherapy treatments, finishing projects around the house, and enjoying attending his grandkids school and church activities,” Chrystal said.
“He gets very tired from the chemo, but he’s hanging in there, and we’re just thankful for every day we have with him.”
Paul’s wife, Christine, has taken an unpaid leave of absence from her employer to spend the rest of Paul’s days by his side.
Christine is also helping with the care of Paul’s sister, Robin Benson, who had a double mastectomy last year in her fight against breast cancer.
“When she made the decision to do it, they had budgeted for three months, but now that we’re past that, it’s getting more difficult financially,” Chrystal said. “And, the insurance deductible is $13,000.00, so the expense is very difficult.”
Paul has six wonderful grandkids, from ages four to 10, two daughters, a son, a daughter-in-law, and a son-in-law who have been spending as much time with him as possible.