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About Sean

Sean’s family always knew he would make a great dad. And they were right. He adores his eight-year old daughter Sophie and five-year old son Sammy. Since his kids’ births, weekends have always been devoted to family time, be it camping, boating or just hanging out in the backyard.

Now Sean’s world has been turned topsy-turvy. While shopping for a bicycle for his daughter, he had a major seizure and was whisked away in an ambulance. After an initial assessment, Sean was referred to the University of Washington Medical Center Oncology Department. There he underwent a series of tests. A team of doctors determined he has a cancerous brain tumor. Due to the tumor’s size and location, surgery was ruled out. He is now undergoing intense radiation treatments.

As a two-year-old boy, Sean dreamed of becoming a truck driver. He held onto that dream and supported his family by driving a big rig until his seizure on March 23rd. Though he could have made more money doing long hauls, he made sure he only drove local routes so he could be home each day to see his wife Pam and the children. Because of the brain tumor and the risk of more seizures Sean's dream job has been taken away. Now his family is struggling to get by without his regular paycheck.

Sean has been through adversity before. In 1988, his only sibling Todd was killed in a car accident at the age of 19, a devastating loss for his family. His wife Pam's parents have both died since the children’s births and 3 years ago Pam’s sister died very unexpectedly. Sean and Pam have lost a lot, but their kids, their love for each other and Sean’s dream job kept them going.

Sean and Pam have always supported each other. Sean by working long hours. Pam by being a full-time stay at home mom, driving the kids to their activities, helping in their schools. Now she also drives Sean to his daily radiation appointments. Since Sean's diagnosis, Pam has been cleaning out closets and staging garage sales to help pay the bills. Friends have been donating goods. But garage sales don't replace a truck driver's salary.

Sean's world has been turned upside down but he is taking life day by day. He maintains a positive attitude. He takes his gets his kids ready for school each morning, helps with homework and lets himself enjoy the time he has with his family.

Sean doesn't know what the future will bring. The medical team at the University of Washington would not give him a definite prognosis but said 6 - 10 years if he's lucky and that's hard to think about. For now he is undergoing daily radiation treatments and being monitored by the University of Washington’s team of specialists.

On June 23rd Sean’s employer will stop paying. FMLA will have run out and he will lose all benefits. His insurance will then switch to COBRA and he will have to pay for that on his own. For three months he will have no income. At the end of September his long term disability insurance will kick in with approximately 60% of his income, and will cover a small percentage of his insurance premiums. Throughout all of this medical bills will continue to mount.

As a little boy, Sean knew he wanted to drive a big rig and become a dad. He lived that first dream and then lost it. He intends to hold on to the second dream for as long as he can. His new goal is to beat cancer and watch his kids grow up. Sean knows too well how quickly life can be snatched away. He very much wants to be there for his kids. Even more important than what he wants, he knows that Sophie and Sam need their dad.