In early 2022, my dad Bob was rushed to the Emergency Room after experiencing a series of falls and rapidly declining speech. After several hours of tests and evaluation, the doctor came back with news that no one ever wants to hear. He had cancer, specifically Glioblastoma, a rare and very aggressive form of cancer with a short survival timeline.

Within 24 hours of the diagnosis, Bob underwent brain surgery to have the majority of the tumor removed and then began a long road to recovery. Through all of this, his life changed forever; he had recently completed his Master's degree program and was now left unable to work in the field he loved. Throughout the past year, through radiation and chemotherapy, my dad has found a new love and purpose for his life; making people smile. 

For all of my life, my dad has always enjoyed crafting things. From cross stitching to writing stories, he has always found joy in making things for himself and to share with others. Despite not having the dexterity to sew anymore, he found a new joy in painting. What started out as practice to help improve his hand-eye coordination and keep him thinking has now evolved into a job and purpose for Bob. He loves to paint various things for people to enjoy, especially if he knows it's something that means a lot to them.

Bob has always been a very giving person and this still holds true today; my dad has graciously donated his body to medical research in the state of Florida to help further brain cancer research and is currently working to participate in a clinical trial to further cancer research as well. In this same fashion, I am working to raise money for the V Foundation for Cancer Research by running in the 2023 Chicago marathon. My dad is helping me to raise money for this wonderful organization by selling some of his artwork for donations.

If you are interested in buying a piece of his work or in just donating to my campaign, check out the Artwork page on this site. For more information on the V Foundation and what they support, please check out v.org.