Brock On: July 2012

Monday, July 9, 2012

Junk in your trunk?

For all you Northern Nevadans... A few of Brock's siblings are having a garage sale this Saturday (July 14th) starting bright and early at 8 o'clock. Come take a peek and perhaps you'll find a treasure or two!

If you've got some extra junk in your trunk (or your house) and would like to donate your unwanted items to the garage sale, leave us a comment and we'll get back to you and arrange a time when you can drop it off.

There's nothing better than ~~spring~~ summer cleaning, well except donating it all to a great cause! All proceeds go to Brock Bingham's family to cover medical expenses.

And if garage sales just aren't your thing then pehaps sweets and treats are! Brock's nieces/nephews will be selling lemonade and baked goods as well to help contribute to the fundraising. Isn't that cute?

Come visit our family this Saturday at 14035 Tagor Road, Reno, Nevada.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Drumroll please...

Before we announce the winner we wanted to be sure to say "Thank You" to everyone who purchased raffle tickets and supported our first fundraiser on behalf of Brock Bingham. We are extremely grateful and humbled with the amount of love, compassion and support that was demonstrated during this event. No words can express our appreciation, thank you...thank you!

Within a few short weeks we were able to raise approximately $6,000 all of which will be used to purchase Brock's medication. What a huge success and this is only the beginning! There will be many more events/fundraisers/opportunities in the future to show Brock and his family your support!

Drumroll please...the winner of the rifle is....Bob from Henderson! Congratulations!

(I've included a short video clip of the winning ticket being drawn just in case any of you were wondering if we rigged it. =)

Our Story - By "The Wife"

I'm Sara Bingham. I married my best friend and true love, Brock, in 2005. We have 2 young children, Ethan (4) and Elle (19 mos). We were both born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, but right now our home is in Carson City, Nevada. In May 2012, one month after Brock's 29th birthday, my husband was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). Here's a bit of information on this illness for those that aren't familiar with it.

CML is a cancer of the white blood cells. CML is often divided into three phases based on clinical characteristics and laboratory findings. In the absence of intervention, CML typically begins in the chronic phase, and over the course of several years progresses to an accelerated phase and ultimately to a blast crisis. Blast crisis is the terminal phase of CML and clinically behaves like an acute leukemia. Drug treatment will usually stop this progression if started early.

The treatment plan recommended for my husband is a pill called Tasigna. Four pills a day, for the rest of his life. Sounds easy right? The price tag for this life saving pill is just under $13,000.00 a month, our out of pocket expense after health insurance is $2,000.00 a month. Yikes!

Tasigna treatment affects your body like chemo-therapy or radiation does. After 12 hours on Tasigna my husband could barely get out of bed. Every bone in his body ached and every muscle was sore. His appetite was lost from a constant upset stomach and his mind can barely function. Any person who has ever experienced cancer or cancer treatment knows how in just a short time your life can turn upside down. My husband not only suffers, our little family suffers along with him as well as our extended family and friends. Cancer is hard for everyone.

The day my husband was diagnosed with CML, he turned to me and said, " I'm grateful it's not you or our children who have to carry this burden of illness. " As I watched my husband sell off many material things he used for hobbies (ATV, RC truck, etc.,) to cover medical expenses, my heart broke for the sacrifices he was making now and would continue to make in the future. But at the same time my heart is full of gratitude for a husband who has always and will always put his family first, no matter the cost.

With the cost of Brock's monthly medication and other medical expenses it sometimes seems impossible. However, we have felt truly blessed and uplifted during this trial in our lives. We know that the Lord is watching over us and we are faithful he will continue to provide a way for our family's needs to be taken care of.

Some of our needs have been met through family, friends and sometimes even complete strangers. We truly appreciate all of the love, prayers and support (including financial) our family is receiving at this time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!