Lampley remains optimistic in fight against returning cancer

GoFundMe page established to defray costs of ordeal
 
February 24, 2020 was supposed to be a special day for Steve Lampley; he and his wife, Kathy, were going to celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary. However, their joy was marred by some heartbreaking news that Lampley received from his doctor: He had colon cancer.
It has been over a year since the diagnosis, and Lampley has undergone surgery, as well as chemotherapy and radiation to remove the cancer. Currently, he’s resting at home and says he’s “doing better day by day.” However, his battle is far from over.
 “I’ve already been through the totality of standard treatments once,” he said. “They were not completely successful, so now it appears I will be going through them all again. I started last year with a combination of chemo and radiation, then a surgical procedure that was only successful in removing about 90 percent of the tumor and then it was followed up by more chemo. After all these treatments, a PET scan showed there was still activity in the residual tumor. Because of these results, they decided to do a more invasive surgery which is what I’m recovering from right now.”
Battle ahead
Lampley said he and Kathy plan to meet with specialists to decide how to proceed in this struggle.
“We aren’t sure what’s next,” he said. “I have numerous appointments with the radiologist and my oncologist at this point to make those decisions. I’m sure there will be more chemo, and possibly more radiation.”
For Lampley, however, the worst part of having cancer is the psychological toll it’s taking on him and his family.
“The hardest part of this has been the psychological side of things,” he said. “Not knowing what’s next, worrying about my wife and kids, worrying about keeping up with the bills and keeping my business going.”
Lampley said members of the community have helped out by donating money, providing food and praying for his family, for which he said he is very grateful.
“The community has already done so much,” he said. “It’s been an eye-opening experience on how giving family, friends and neighbors are. I hate to ask for anything, but all help is appreciated.”
Faith is also playing a major role in Lampley’s fight.
“The most powerful gift you can (give) anyone is to request from our Creator his healing mercy,” he said. “That has helped me mentally and emotionally more than anything. It’s also helped remind me of the spirituality that exists in the faith.”
Teacher starts GoFundMe page
Christy Pederson, a teacher at Bois D’Arc Elementary who taught Lampley’s youngest daughter, Hailey, has started a GoFundMe page for Lampley with a fundraising goal of $12,500. As of press time, it had raised $7,710. Lampley said the money will be used to meet his family’s basic needs.
“The funds we receive are used pretty much the same way anyone would use them,” he said. “To pay bills and keep food on the table, and attempt to maintain some kind of ‘normalcy’ in the kids’ lives.”
Pedersen said the Lampley’s were very involved in Hailey’s education, and during the year she taught Hailey, they donated supplies for Pedersen’s students and attended all school activities. And at the end of that year, Kathy came to help Pedersen paint her classroom, along with Hailey and the Lampley’s other two children, William and Rachel.
Pedersen said when she learned of Steve’s condition, she wanted to help.
“Although I had never started a fundraiser before,” she said, “and knew Steve and Kathy had kept many of the details surrounding Steve’s diagnosis private, I felt strongly that I needed to do what I could for this family who have done a lot for me and many others. It took some convincing, but eventually Steve and Kathy agreed to let me start a ‘GoFundMe’ for them, for the sake of their children.”
Stage 4, but caught fairly early
According to information posted on the GoFundMe page, Lampley’s cancer is at Stage Four, but he said he is optimistic he will win his fight.
“The cancer was caught fairly early so I have every reason to believe I will eventually come out on the winning side of this,” he said. “It’s certainly an uphill battle and a trying one.”
For her part, Pedersen said she has seen an outpouring of support for the Lampley family that makes her glad she came to live in Bois D’Arc.
“I would like to thank the members of the community who have donated, shared the fundraiser, and prayed for the Lampley family,” she said. “I have lived in Bois D’Arc for over 15 years and taught at Bois D’Arc Elementary for nine years. I love this community and the people who live here. Seeing the outpouring of love and support for the Lampley family reminds me of why I intend to always call this area ‘home.’”
To donate
For those who would like to donate, the GoFundMe page for Lampley, titled “Help Steve in his Battle with Cancer,” can be found at www.gofundme.com. Type “Steve Lampley” into the search bar.