Our dad, Rod, has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, a journey that brings not only physical challenges but significant financial strain. While undergoing chemotherapy, we’ve learned that additional supportive therapies, including pancreatic enzymes and vitamin IV infusions, are crucial to his fight. Unfortunately, these treatments are not covered by insurance. We’re reaching out to our friends, family, and the kindness of strangers to help provide him with the support he needs during this battle.

Our dad has had a heart for serving others his entire life— maybe he’s even served some of you reading this. Whether you know him from his youth, and caused some fun trouble with him as you grew up together, or became his lifelong friend in high school or college. He possibly taught you in grade school, was your coach in your favorite sport, or was your choir director or band director. Maybe he played pick up basketball with you, or was in your softball league. Perhaps he taught your kids in Vacation Bible School or took you to a Youth Rally. Maybe you met him as he helped with Sunday School or Catechism classes. Or maybe you crossed paths with him through his Prison Ministry or through the beloved St. John’s FROGS group. Or it’s possible you’re one of his treasured shut ins that are all so near and dear to his heart. Maybe you worked along side him in the Ministry over the years. Maybe you met him in his latest chapter of life driving a parts van around and loving every minute of that too! Perhaps he’s a stranger to you-although we will all tell you there is no such thing as a stranger to Rod Bollinger after five minutes of conversation!

Whether you met him in Zeeland, Mobridge, Norfolk, Kewaskum, Oak Creek or Grafton, or even if you’ve never met him before: he would never ask anything of anyone in return of all he’s given… even today, in his greatest hour of need. That’s just how a servants’ heart works-and what makes him the man we all have come to know and love over all these years. 

If this moves you to contribute, we thank you. If this moves you to pray for our dad, we are grateful for that just as much, if not more.

Many of you have asked, “What can we do? What do you need?” Now, we finally have an answer to those questions, and we thank you all for walking this journey with us. We write weekly updates on CaringBridge and you can follow along here. The encouragement and support we’ve received is beyond words—it means more to us than we can ever truly express.

-Hope, Cara and Danielle