Feb. 28, 2025

Thank you for your continuing prayers and support for John and his family.

The past week brought another trip to the emergency room, as John developed double pneumonia. A scary morning, with the medical team flying into action to diagnose and treat him. He’s being carefully watched now, with the hospital staff caring for him and monitoring his oxygen around the clock and family members sitting with him during the day and overnight. The first 24 hours after admission to the ICU didn’t show any marked improvement, but yesterday his numbers were up enough to be encouraging. The doctors have told him he’ll be in the hospital into the coming week in order for them to see his oxygen numbers rise to where they are confident in releasing him.

Please keep praying for:

1. wisdom for both the hospital’s staff and the cancer center as they continue treatment

2. pain control and quality rest for John

3. constructive turning points in his body’s fight against the cancer

4. continual mental and emotional encouragement for John and for those looking after him

5. provision for the financial needs

One huge blessing is about the family’s borrowed housing there in Arizona. Instead of the expected need to move to a different house at the beginning of March, their “host family” has informed them that they’re welcome to stay put for the duration of John’s treatment. Amazing friends…

Thank you all for your care for John and his family!

 February 11, 2025

Thanks for keeping John and his family in your prayers.

Injections into the most active cancer cells started on the 30th of January on a “once a week for three weeks” plan. Things seemed to be okay through the second round until yesterday morning (Monday, Feb. 10th) at home when John’s shortness of breath became severe along with an erratic heart rate and blood pressure. A trip to the ER was ordered and it turned out that the injections into the cancer in one of his lungs had produced what could be described as an air leak (a predicted risk, and one that some of our medically-oriented friends in Michigan agree is not out of the ordinary). That leak accelerated into a collapsed lung, which you will appreciate as a major scare for the family that day. The hospital team stepped up, though, and got the lung reinflated, then kept John overnight to monitor him. Recent word is that although his lungs were both functioning well this morning, there was a bit more work the doctors wanted to do and then perhaps keep him one more night before allowing him to leave and resume his treatment at the cancer center.

So, yes, Monday was an adrenaline-fueled day. But we find ourselves grateful once again for the folks who’ve chosen to serve us all in the medical field, including those nurses who took care to make sure family members were all right amid the tears of relief when John came out of the successful “reinflation” procedure. Angels don’t always wear wings.

Please pray for:

1. wisdom for the hospital’s staff as they evaluate John’s lung capacity and condition

2. wisdom for the cancer center team as they determine next steps

3. plenty of rest for John, as always needed but also to make up for being continually checked on through the night at the hospital

4. steady progress in the cancer treatment results, to be seen on successive scans as well as improvement that John can feel

5. victory in the daily, hourly mental fight

6. strength and encouragement and needed peaceful rest for family members and friends caring for John

7. ongoing provision to address the financial needs

Thank you for your continuing care for John and his family!

Jan. 29, 2025

A big thank-you to everyone associated with John’s benefit dinner at Temple Hill Baptist Church in Cadillac last Saturday! Temple Hill itself, the many volunteers and the many who helped us advertise the event, donors of the supplies and food, those who collected and donated returnable bottles and cans, and the 301 who ate with us and donated toward John’s medical bills. An encouraging event, and a reminder to John and Kayla and the rest of the family of how loved they are.

Big weeks coming up. Along with a continuation of the variety of John’s “normal” treatment, the cancer center is using results from PET scans to target the hot-spot cancer cells far more specifically.

Keep praying for:

1. a helpful response from John’s body to all aspects of the treatment

2. improved rest and energy and appetite

3. victories hour by hour and day by day in the mental fight

4. health and strength and encouragement for all who are caring for John

5. week-by-week provision of the funds needed to cover his treatment

Again, thank you all for your prayers and support for John throughout these weeks and months! 

January 12, 2025

Grateful:

1. For a medical team that takes the time to explain the treatment process in a way that helps us understand as much as possible the whats and hows and whys.

2. That John slept better last night than he has in quite a while, by his own estimation.

3. That, so far, the chemotherapy treatments’ most significant negative effect has been the same-day feeling of being “whipped.”

4. That through testing, his doctors are getting a better view of which cancer cells are the most active and, therefore, the prime targets for concentrated treatment.

Keep praying:

1. For even small improvements in every aspect of John’s physical difficulties (sleep, bowel movements, energy level, etc.), and for the gradual victory that those improvements will give him in the mental fight.

2. That the financial resources will be available when the doctors are ready to attack the hot-spot cancer cells.

3. For continuing insight and wisdom on the part of his medical team, and for strength and health and encouragement for all those who are helping to care for him.

Again, thank you for all of your care for John and his family.

For those who want to send financial help for John directly to the cancer center, feel free to use the following contact information:

Envita Medical Centers, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone: (866) 994-5473 or (602) 569-4144

Website: www.envita.com (For a mailing address, please call the center's billing dept.)

Target patient: Jonathan Pike

Reference number: C01754 (with the "0" being a zero)

If there are questions that we can help with, please don't hesitate to contact John's older brother Andy at (228) 304-3570 or email him at arpike.umt@gmail.com

 January 6th, 2025

Thank you all so much for your continuing tangible care for John and his family. The required weekly payments for John’s cancer treatment can be a worrisome stress. However, week by week, your donations through this site as well as directly to his account at the cancer center are making it possible for that treatment in Arizona to progress.

Please keep praying for:

1) Consistently better sleep routines (and praise for some improvement on that front)

2) Better strength and mobility through an easing of ongoing pain

3) An abundance of wisdom on the part of his medical team

4) Step-by-step indications throughout his physical system that the treatments he is receiving are having their intended effect

5) Frequent reminders that he and his family are deeply loved

6) Strength and health and a continual sense of both hope and peace for those who help care for him daily and even hourly

Again, thank you for every part of your investment in John’s recovery.

For those who prefer to send financial help directly to the cancer center, please use the following contact information:

Envita Medical Center, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone: (866) 994-5473 or (602) 569-4144

Website: www.envita.com (For a mailing address, please call the center's billing dept.)

Target patient: Jonathan Pike

Reference number: C01754 (with the "0" being a zero)

If there are questions that we can help with, please don't hesitate to contact John's older brother Andy at (228) 304-3570 or email him at arpike.umt@gmail.com

Dec. 25, 2024

Merry Christmas to you all and thank you for keeping this family on your hearts and in your prayers. As John and Kayla and the boys spend the holidays in what is remarkably warm weather compared to what they’re used to, we want to give you a few updates.

1. The procedure to provide John with a new treatment “port” went well. (The first port that was put in weeks before the flight to Arizona was determined to be unusable and therefore would have caused serious issues. Thankfully, there appears to be no harm in leaving it alone for now, and the center is planning to remove both it and the new one when John’s treatment is complete.)

2. IV treatments began late last week, as well as a blood ozone treatment. Chemotherapy is to begin this week Friday. Please pray that John’s body will respond well in two ways: one, by treating the drugs as a partner to his immune system in the battle against the cancer; and two, by avoiding the most challenging of the possible side effects. And, of course, please pray that his immune system will rally to his defense at every step along the way and that he will get the rest that he needs each night.

3. The family’s doctor in Michigan consistently goes above and beyond in reaching out and assisting in every way she can, even from two thousand miles away. Truly an incredible person. Please keep her in your prayers as well, for continued strength and blessings on her.

4. Results from one of John’s recent tests came back this week and, although the reading was on “the high end of normal” (based on the medical center’s appraisal of cancer patients), it showed a welcome similarity with results from two months ago back in Michigan. That is an indication that his condition has in some sense held steady during that time. Going forward, retests are planned every four weeks, with the expectation of improving numbers.

5. Navigating the financial side of all of this is an ongoing and complicated challenge. Please pray for clarity and wisdom for the family in that.

Again, thank you for every way in which you show your care for John and Kayla and the boys. It is continually encouraging to see the love that surrounds this family, and we’re thankful for the part that each of you play in that.

Some have asked about John’s week-by-week bill for treatment and about a means of helping more directly. The cancer center’s billing department does accept funds to be applied to a particular patient’s bill by check or card or wire transfer. Here is the contact information for that:

Envita Medical Center, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone: (866) 994-5473 or (602) 569-4144

Website: www.envita.com (For a mailing address, please call the center's billing dept.)

Target patient: Jonathan Pike

Reference number: C01754 (with the "0" being a zero)

If there are questions that we can help with, please don't hesitate to contact John's older brother Andy at (228) 304-3570 or email him at arpike.umt@gmail.com

Dec. 17, 2024

(The attached photo is from a short driving tour of local Arizona Christmas lights...without a hint of any real snow! Probably a first for John and Kayla and the boys.)

John had his first in-person consultation at the cancer treatment center yesterday (Monday the 16th) and blood and urine samples were taken today to help pinpoint the DNA of the tumor, the progression, and multiple other physical factors that will help decide the type of chemotherapy needed and also the substances needed to rebuild his immune system to help fight the cancer. Some of those test results are expected in the next few days and others in the coming couple of weeks, though pre-chemo IV treatments are to begin on Friday.

A new concern that is weighing heavily on the family is the financial aspect of this type of treatment. The medical center relies on and requires advance payment week-by-week, and though John and Kayla are members of a medical cost-sharing group, those funds are only available month by month. So the weekly amount needed up-front for John's care is daunting! Also, the center is planning to do PET scans in order to identify the hot spots in the rectal tumor, and there is the option of targeted injections of cancer-killing medicine directly into those most-active cancer cells. However, those injections come at a steep cost as well.

For those who are able to help the family with those costs, this donation site may be a convenient avenue. Some, however, might prefer for a variety of reasons to send medical payment help in a more direct way. So, we made a call and learned that the cancer center allows funds to be sent directly to its billing department to be applied to a particular patient's bill. Checks and wire transfers can be sent and debit/credit cards can be used over the phone.

Envita Medical Center, Scottsdale, AZ 85260  Phone: (866) 994-5473  or (602) 569-4144

Website: www.envita.com    (For a specific mailing address, please call the center's billing department.)

Target patient: Jonathan Pike

Reference number: C01754 (with the "0" being a zero)

If there are questions that we can help with, please don't hesitate to contact John's older brother Andy at (228) 304-3570 or email him at arpike.umt@gmail.com

Dec. 13, 2024

John and Kayla and the boys made it safely to the hotel in Grand Rapids Wednesday evening and then to the airport and onto the plane the next morning and finally to Phoenix. While it was not a completely uneventful trip, several people along the way made it smoother than it would have been otherwise. An airport concierge for John, an efficient and understanding TSA team, gate officials, a mystery person who made possible a change of seats that put everyone close together on the plane, flight attendants, and even the baggage handlers outdoors who playfully threw snowballs at the window the boys were watching them from! ...We are grateful for all of them. In Phoenix, family members were on-hand to welcome them and to get them and their luggage to the home they'll be borrowing for the next while.

Please pray that they will settle into their new surroundings quickly and that the climate will be a boost for all of them. John's first in-person with the cancer center's team is scheduled for Monday (Dec. 16), so pray that it will be an encouraging start. Pray for unrelenting wisdom for the treatment team and for a steady recovery of energy and health for John. Also, pray that the welcome the family receives from the broader community there will make them feel surrounded by people who truly care about them, including the boys' need for new friends their own age.

Thank you again for your care for this family!

Dec. 10th

Thursday morning is flight time out of Grand Rapids, en route to Phoenix and John's Monday appointment at the cancer center. Please keep the family in your prayers for safety all along the way (with the threat of a snowstorm looming over the Michigan end of the trip), a relatively smooth airport process, a flight that offers as little discomfort as possible for John, and overwhelming peace and confidence as the Arizona side of the family welcomes them in and helps them get settled.

Dec. 1, 2024

The update on Nov. 24th shared news of John’s acceptance into a specialized cancer treatment program near Phoenix, Arizona. Due to scheduling constraints at the cancer center, the initial start date was Dec. 19th with instructions to continue a pre-treatment program of care in the meantime. This past week, the team in Phoenix moved up John’s start date by a few days, so it is now Dec. 16th. Direct-flight plane tickets have been reserved for several days prior to that from the Grand Rapids airport so that John and Kayla and the boys can arrive in Arizona and get settled in somewhat before John’s first appointment.

So, between now and then, please pray that John will be able to get the rest that he desperately needs each day. Pray that the pre-treatment care he is getting will “make it through” to provide the nutrients and energy that his body requires. Pray that he and Kayla and the boys will be continually encouraged by the support they’re receiving from every side and that they will see the love of God through us all. Finally, please keep praying that “the doctors’ hands will be God’s hands.”

Thank you again for being part of John’s team in whatever way you are able.

November 24th update:

The previous status update (November 15th) was the confirmation from John’s medical team that the cancer had spread to his abdominal area and to the lower half of his lungs. This week brought an open door that, while good news, means that we’re going to miss John and Kayla and their boys during the end-of-the-year holidays and over the next few months.

A medical center near Phoenix, Arizona has accepted John into their treatment program. That cancer center specializes in combinations of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, etc. Treatment is to be five days a week, and our hope is that the steady drumbeat of micro-targeted care will result in a less taxing toll on John’s energy level in the short-term as well as a successful long-term prognosis.

One of John’s older sisters and brothers-in-law spend their winters in the Phoenix area, and their oldest son and his family live and work there year-round, just half an hour from the cancer treatment center. Through them and their connections, housing has already been secured for the duration and, of course, there will be no snowstorms to fight on the way to John’s daily care.

So, we will be keeping an eye on John and Kayla’s home here in northern Michigan and working to keep their bills paid in their months-long absence as well as to help them cover their expenses in Arizona. Then, sometime next year, they and the boys can return to catch the tail end of our blustery winter.

Thank you for your concern and for your prayers so far. As always, we need “the doctors’ hands to be God’s hands.” Thank you, too, for your generosity in this fundraising campaign. John and Kayla are being continually reminded of how much people love them, and we truly appreciate your part in that.

We can't thank you all enough for your prayers for John and his family and for your generosity in wanting to be a part of this effort. We have no way of knowing what the total need will be in the long run, so we are deeply grateful for every donation.

Last week's CT scan of John's chest showed spots in the lower half of his lungs, and yesterday's MRI in Grand Rapids showed evidence of trouble in the abdomen as well. So the treatment team has suggested a cancer management plan, and one of the greatest needs in the coming days and weeks will be for wisdom in choosing the best way forward and for peace and confidence in the love of God through it all.

(The first portion of processed donations has been received and transferred to John and Kayla's account. Thank you again, to each and every one, for showing your care for John in this way.)