Update on Kevin Winter Health Emergency

[Charles Kamins]

Kevin Winter, original missionary to Chad, is being treated for a serious condition that was initially diagnosed as "lesions" in his brain. Kevin's health began to deterioriate and he was air-lifted to France where after intensive testing it was determined that he has a tumor in his brain. In France Kevin's doctors determined that the location of the tumor made it impossible to treat with surgery. His doctors recommended  chemotherapy. Weighing his options, Kevin decided to continue his treatment in the United States and with help from his doctors he was able to travel to St. Louis where he was immediately admitted and the doctors repeated the tests he had undergone in France. 

American doctors gave the same diagnosis, Kevin is suffering from brain cancer and specifically he has a malignant glioma, one of the most serious and aggressive cancers of the brain. Unlike the French, Kevin's American doctors offered him the option to treat with surgery as well as radiation and chemotherapy.

Everyone needs to understand that Kevin's condition is extremely serious. Brain surgery is no picnic. I experienced it in 2001 when I spent a week in the hospital after undergoing surgery for a hemangioblastoma, a non-malignant tumor of the spinal cord.

Given the fact that Kevin's tumor is malignant, he made the right decision to opt for surgery. Kevin and his family will need a lot of support to get through this successfully and even the best outcome will leave them exhausted physically, emotionally and financially. 

Regional director Kathy Rigney created a page where she posts updates of Kevin's condition and where you can offer words of support. You'll find that page here: http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/emergency-flight-and-su...