Family hosting online fundraiser for Willowbrook cancer patient
In February 2014, Ralph Roge, a 35 year resident of unincorporated DuPage county was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastic Lung Cancer. Ralph was admitted into the hospital for headaches and dizziness which lead to his cancer diagnosis. On February 16th of last year, he underwent surgery to remove a large cystic tumor that spread to his brain. Soon after, Ralph received weeks of radiation therapy to help shrink five other cancerous lesions on the brain that were detected on his MRI. Once radiation therapy was completed, Ralph began chemotherapy treatments every three weeks. These treatments have been successful at keeping the cancerous tumors from growing and spreading. Ralph continues to receive chemotherapy, physical therapy and at-home care.
This diagnoses left our family shocked and seeking the best medical treatments possible. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Ralph's cancer; however, we are working closely with medical professionals to keep the cancer from spreading.
We are having this fundraiser to help our family with past and upcoming medical bills that are not covered by insurance. This includes some of Ralph's chemotherapy treatments, injections, and medical tests. We are also raising money towards new hearing devices for Ralph as most of his hearing was lost from receiving radiation treatments. The cost of the hearing devices alone are approximately $5, 000 and medical bills from his past treatments that are not covered by insurance currently stand with a balance of $20,000. These totals do not include any future medical treatments.
Ralph's diagnosis was discovered on Valentine's Day 2014 and my heart was broken as I sat in the hospital with him receiving the news. Our family is reaching out to the community to help us through this difficult journey. Donations for Ralph's medical expenses can be made on Go Fund Me at: https://www.gofundme.com/85hsb9wc
We appreciate and are thankful for your support. Please keep Ralph and the 'Roge' Family in your prayers as we continue to fight the fight against cancer!