Trumansburg collects tabs for resident’s cancer treatment

On Jan. 21, Ron Don’s Village Pub in Trumansburg announced a can tab drive on its Facebook page to collect tabs to raise money for chemotherapy treatments for Casey Thompson, a 34-year-old single parent battling stage 4 ovarian cancer.

The drive and subsequent post announcing it were shared four days later to the Gift Exchange for the Trumansburg Community (GETC) Facebook page, giving details about the collection.

In a matter of days, the Trumansburg community rallied support for Thompson in an effort to offset some of the costs of medications, treatments and related expenses.

“We simply wanted to help out,” said Ron Don’s owner Don Scott. “We don’t want any recognition or anything for this. We just want to help out someone who’s struggling and could really use the assistance and support. The diagnosis and prognosis are tragic. Casey’s so young and has that little girl.”

Lisa Morocco, an employee at Ron Don’s, initiated the collection after talking with Thompson and getting his approval and permission from the pub. Thompson shared his story.

“I hadn’t been feeling well,” he said. “I went to the doctor in July of 2021 to get checked out, and they found a mass in my bladder. After testing, it came back showing that I had stage 2 ovarian cancer.”

The shocking and devastating news created many challenges. It also required immediate chemotherapy treatments. This would mean regular travel, hotel and hospital stays as well as medication, the cost of which would become astronomical.

“The chemotherapy treatments that are twice a month are $1,500 each,” Thompson explained. “For every 5,000 tabs collected that I can turn in, I get a treatment paid for. These treatments are not covered by my insurance, and I have to figure out how to pay for them out of pocket.”

Thompson’s life changed dramatically with the news. He could no longer afford to live in the home he shared with his daughter and could no longer work at William George Agency, where he was a youth care specialist.

“I am transgender and started transitioning in August 2019,” Thompson said. “Fortunately, I’ve been taking testosterone, which has helped slow the cancer in regards to the type it is in relation to estrogen. They would have actually prescribed [testosterone] if I wasn’t already using it.”

The cost of survival quickly skyrocketed, and Thompson and his 10-year-old daughter, Kailie, were learning to adjust to moving in with his mother along with the routines that would become their new way of life. But then, he received more devastating news.

“I was told on October 30th, 2021, about three months after initially being diagnosed, that my cancer had progressed to stage 4,” Thompson said. “We knew that the cancer was aggressive, but we weren’t expecting this.”

Presented with this diagnosis, Thompson decided to switch from Upstate Cancer Center in Syracuse to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo.

“I had a lot of questions that weren’t being answered at Upstate,” Thompson said. “I felt that I needed a treatment facility to be as aggressive as the cancer. After my first appointment at Roswell, I submitted around 50 questions to my new doctor. They were all answered by the end of the same day that I sent them.”

In short order, it was determined that an immediate series of surgeries would be required to combat the quickly spreading cancer.

“Since the cancer is so aggressive and spreading so fast, a full hysterectomy was ordered,” Thompson said. “With the total hysterectomy and some other surgical procedures, I will have nothing left in that area but my bladder. I will be admitted to the hospital on Feb. 10 to begin with all the surgeries.”

While navigating this new, frightening and shifting landscape of his life, Thompson has decided to attend Tompkins Cortland Community College full time to try to complete his degree.

“I had been taking one or two classes and paying out of pocket for them,” Thompson said. “I’m studying computer information data systems and photography. I had been taking one or two classes and paying out of pocket, but now, I have scholarships and I’m going full time.”

Possessing a highly compromised immune system makes the scholastic endeavors even harder for Thompson.

“I’m already very compromised, but with COVID, it makes it even more difficult to be out in crowds,” Thompson said. “I try to be by myself as much as I can at school. I sit in the back corner of classes and go through about one large bottle of hand sanitizer a day while navigating the campus. I have to be diligent, and it has become expensive along with all the other things I can scarcely afford.”

Upon learning of needs that are beyond the tabs being collected, the Trumansburg community has joined together to collect as many supplies as they can to get to Thompson. Hand sanitizer, gas cards, restaurant cards and can tabs are still desperately needed.

“The cost of the travel and hotel stays are huge,” Thompson said. “I am very lucky to have insurance, but there’s a lot that isn’t covered that I have to figure out how to afford while I try and survive. I can’t work and I still take care of my daughter. It’s so hard trying to get through on what I have and with such limited energy. I’m beyond grateful for any help that I get.”

Possessing a fierce determination and a desire to see his daughter grow up, Thompson is grateful for any help and contributions he receives.

“I’m tired, but I try and keep active,” he said. “I’m going to show my daughter that I can fight through this. I go to TC3 and I get as much done as I can to show her that I’m a fighter, that I fight for me and I fight for her. Obviously the goal is remission and to keep my life, but if that doesn’t happen, she’ll always know that I went out fighting as hard as I could.”

Tabs from cans can be dropped off at Ron Don’s pub at 1 Old Main St. in Trumansburg. Donations can be arranged with Thompson for pickup or delivery and can also be given through Thompson’s GoFundMe at tinyurl.com/ydb5346c.

Trumansburg Connection appears every Wednesday in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.