SIWE STRONG

WELCOME and thank you for visiting. I'd love to tell about my son Billy who lost his life to Stomach Cancer in 2015. At the time I knew nothing about the CDH1 gene, how the mutation in this gene would take him at the young age of 20, or how this gene mutation was not finished with my family. Please take a few minutes getting to know Billy and how his sacrifice is saving others I love.

- Best wishes

— BILLY'S STORY —

OCTOBER 12, 1994 - MAY 20, 2015

We learned Billy had cancer 2 days before he went to be with the Lord. We had been trying to address the trouble swallowing (feeling like food was getting stuck or he would instantly feel full) and he was losing some weight when we had a physical and endoscopy done in March of 2015. Physical and bloodwork came back fine and endoscopy showed he had severe gastritis. Biopsies came back fine. Doctor prescribed over the counter Prilosec.

A month and a half later and no improvement and more weight loss, he began to have trouble catching his breathe - he was admitted into hospital and after a CT scan, we learned he had cancer in his spine. The information was numbing and we would spend the next 3 days trying to figure out the origin of the cancer. The antibiotics were not working for his lungs - and it was during a lung endoscopy that we lost him. We later learned the cancer had spread to the blood vessels in his lungs. Weeks later, we learned from the coroner that it was his stomach. The official cause of death was Metastatic Cancer of Stomach. Which means he had stomach cancer that spread. This type of stomach cancer is diffused throughout the stomach lining and can be very difficult to find. It was only after the cancer spread outside of his stomach to his bones, that doctors were able to see it was cancer. More...

In honor of Billy's Anniversary, we have created a special T-Shirt.

Help us raise a little money to support the efforts to fight stomach cancer.

Proceeds will be donated to 'No Stomach For Cancer', an organization that has offered me support in many different ways.

T-Shirts are $15.00 for Adults | $10.00 for Kids

Click Here for more information and to order.

FUNDRAISING IN HIS HONOR

FOR STOMACH CANCER RESEARCH

— STOMACH CANCER AWARENESS —

LEARN MORE TODAY!

Stomach cancer only makes up about 10% of all cancers but its' the 2nd leading cause of cancer death - That's because it is difficult to diagnose. Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer occurs in 1 - 3% of that 10% making it even more rare. It's this special group my family falls into. Carriers of a mutation in the CDH1 gene. Typically families suffer through 2 or 3 or more deaths before they begin to consider it being gene related. Fortunately and unfortunately, we were able to learn sooner because of losing Billy at age 20. His sacrifice is saving other family members and for that we are all grateful.

Billy had Diffuse gastric cancer which is an aggressive cancer that grows rapidly in the cells of the stomach wall. Unlike other cancers that form a mass or a tumor, these cancer cells are diffused – spread or scattered widely or thinly – making it difficult to diagnose. It tends to affect younger people with a family history of the disease or those having a genetic syndrome. Read More...

— JULIE'S NOTE —

A MOTHER'S LOVE

There is no doubt this has been the most hardest year of my life... and I've had my fair share.

My first born... my baby boy... my sweet, kind-hearted young man. So special to so many and truly he had alittle something extra special.

There is a peace I find knowing I don't ever have to worry about him. Nothing bad will ever happen to him again. As a mother, that eases my pain. The part I will always struggle with is I don't get to see him follow his dreams of becoming a chef, falling in love, and starting a family. More...