On March 18th, Wendell Olson was taken to the ER after falling in the shower. He was just so tired tha this family knew something was wrong. The hospitalists immediately found a tumor and took him by ambulance to OHSU. Two days later, he had surgery and his surgeon told us that what she found was no doubt a high-grade, aggressive brain cancer. Pathology confirmed their worst fears, Glioblastoma Grade 4. Due to delays by the insurance and a referral not being sent, his chemo and radiation was delayed. His head swelled until his eye couldn’t open and they took him to the ER again. His tumor had grown back in only a month. He had another craniotomy only a month and a half after his first. He has since started his first round of chemo and radiation.
Wendell Olson has worked for The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde for nearly 30 years. He is the hardest working man his daughter knows and was putting off “fun” for retirement. He had made so many plans for his retirement in 10 years. He wanted to take trips and work on cars and build a shop and do gun-smithing. He has always put his family first. He would never drive a car nicer than his wife’s and would never do anything for himself. He was saving spoiling himself for retirement. He was counting down the years and talked about being on the home stretch.
After his second surgery, his doctors didn’t want to release him to go back to work, but he insisted. He still feels like he needs to take care of his family, but they want him to be able to do something that is just for him. He would have loved to go to a NASCAR race but is to ill to travel far. Instead the family asked to go on a local Christmas dinner boat cruise for one evening.
Stella’s Wish Foundation is sending Wendell and his family on a Christmas dinner boat cruise for one evening near where they live in Oregon.
