My name is Bob. Dan and I have been friends for 30+ years. When you've been friends that long, you're family. My kids know him as Uncle Dan and want to be able to provide whatever help they can for him, Aunt Miranda, and Everett.

Let me be straight with you for a second: Dan has cancer.

Dan has a job, Miranda runs a daycare and Everett is four. There are several responsibilities this family has. Fighting cancer is now their top priority. I'm asking for help raising a little bit of money to offset their lost income from temporarily closing the daycare and help with their travel expenses and medical bills. Fortunately, they have insurance but some of the treatment is out-of-network which requires more out-of-pocket expenses.

Here is a little bit of the history of Dan's journey. Back in September, Dan wasn't feeling very well. He took a trip to Urgent Care to get checked out where they found an enlarged lymph node. Thinking maybe his illness was due to a virus or cold, they suggested he get some rest but keep an eye on it.

In October, Dan wasn't feeling much better so he had an ultrasound on the lymph node that confirmed it was abnormal. In November, the lymph node was biopsied but the results were inconclusive. Because of that, surgery was scheduled to remove the enlarged lymph node.  

On January 18, Dan and Miranda received the pathology report from the removed lymph node: Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Basically, this is a type of skin cancer but given the metastatic tag because cells were found in the lymph node.

In February, Dan underwent another surgery to remove his tonsils and have biopsies of the back of his tongue and sinuses. At this time, the biopsies were negative, which was semi-good news but also not-so-great news as the treatment plan would be broader to fight any cancer elsewhere in his body.

In March and April, Dan and Miranda decided to get a second opinion at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center in New York City. The team at MSK was able to locate the tumor at the base of the left tonsil. It was also determined the pathology of the cancer carried the P16 gene marker. While still not great, this is a less aggressive form of squamous cell carcinoma. The team immediately put a treatment plan together to eradicate the tumor and a surgery date was scheduled.

The plan includes removing the tumor and the lymph nodes from the left side of Dan's neck. Dan will spend a few days inpatient at MSK while the compassionate and caring nurses take care of him. Dan will then be discharged and sent home to continue his healing. The Joslin family can then put this all behind them and return to their adventures as a family!

Dan's surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, April 18. Miranda will be staying in NYC so she can be by his side while he heals. Hotel stays in NYC are never cheap and she'll need to eat while she's there. This fundraiser hopes to cover their travel expenses and provide some peace of mind while they battle and recover. There will be required travel back to NYC following his surgery for periodic scans, so this help will go a long way.

On behalf of Dan, Miranda, and Everett, thank you so much for helping out!!