Category: 2019

Jason Halbert was diagnosed with grade IV pontine Glioblastoma (high grade glioma of the brainstem). It is an aggressive brain cancer with a poor prognosis, so his wife and two daughters asked us to fulfill one of his biggest wishes.  Jason LOVES the Dallas Cowboys. He never misses watching a game on TV, follows all of the players, their stats, wears the jerseys, all of it. He’s been a lifelong fan, sharing that with his own father when he was young. Unfortunately, Jason has never been to an actual game! To be able to see his team play this season in their home stadium would be the ULTIMATE experience, and to share it with his daughters would be such an incredible gift.

Jason’s wish was granted and the family went to a Dallas Cowboys football game on August 24th!

 

I really have no words. Stella’s Wish Foundation and Dallas Cowboys took a wish from a little family fighting a huge monster and not only granted the wish but turned it into the fullest bucket list experience we could have imagined.

We were taken in through a secret entrance, walked through the tunnels, and onto the field. We were given a special VIP spot and had three designated Cowboys representatives that basically acted as our body guards. No one was allowed to get in “our space” and security was told that when players came over, it was for “this man and his family and no one else”. What???

– Nicole Halbert

Greg Villarreal was diagnosed with Duodenal Carcinoma Stage 4 in March of 2018. He is currently being treated with Keytruda every 3 weeks and has had some results, but the prognosis is limited because of how advanced the cancer was when diagnosed and even with treatment expectation was only given 2 years.

Greg also has a diagnosis of being bi-polar and this in addition to his cancer has made it very difficult from the standpoint of acceptance, and the ability to find joy in any capacity.

His ex-wife, Cynthia, recently allowed him to move into her home for assisted care.  Greg is the father of their three children and three grandchildren who adore him. The family wants to take the moments they have to make memories, make amends and help them better prepare for what lies ahead.

Greg has always wanted to go to Seattle, Washington. Christine has known him since she was a teenager and says that is all he has ever spoken of. His “bucket list item” was to take his family and see the Jimi Hendrix Museum. Greg is an avid music enthusiast, and probably the most knowledgeable of any one person she has ever met.  Greg turns 60 in September and his family is hoping to get him to Seattle while he is still able to travel.

Stella’s Wish Foundation will grant Greg’s wish and get the family to Seattle to visit Jimi Hendrix Park and the Museum of Pop Culture and to see the Space Needle.

 

David Nelams Jr. was rediagnosed with Stage 4 Liver Cancer in 2000 at age 39. He was given 6 to 18 months to live and is as we say ‘a miracle of God’, because he is still with us today.

David had half a lung removed at age 15 because of 2 tumors on his right lung and was told if he lived 5 years he was out of the woods. In the year 2000, he became ill and had an ultrasound that showed spots on his liver and he was told it was cancer.  He was sent to a Carcinoid Specialists in New Orleans were told that the cancer in his lungs at age 15 was the Primary and now it was Stage 4 in his liver.

David has endured a lot since then, with it spreading to his spine and causing fractures. He had major back surgery in August of 2018 and also a couple of chemo embolizations in the liver as well as scans every six months to watch for growth. He is is constant pain daily and is on lots of medication because the cancer is in the bone in several areas such as his arms, brain, spine, and he also has COPD which requires him to use oxygen. Despite all of this, he continues to fight day to day, mainly because of his strong Christian faith.

In 2007, he was blessed with a son, Noah. Noah and his dad are best friends and mom (Christine) believes this is also a reason he continues to fight. Noah is always wanting to go on a vacation but it’s hard because they are on a limited income and also because of his dad’s illness. Noah is having a hard time right now with school dealing with his dad’s illness.

David and Christine would like go on a little trip somewhere that would create wonderful memories for their family.  They are huge New Orleans Saints fans and every year they talk about how fun it would be to go to a game and possibly get to meet some of the players, especially their favorite Drew Brees.

Stella’s Wish Foundation has granted David’s wish and is sending the family to a game in New Orleans on Aug 9^th .

“David got to meet Bobby Hebert! Thanks so much for granting his wish. We had a great time!!!”

 

 

Bradley Adamson was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2017 at age 35. After undergoing some treatments, he went from stage 2 to stage 4.  Bradley and his wife have two kids, ages 12 and 14. They travel to Houston from Kentucky every 12 weeks for follow-ups and scans.

Bradley’s wish has been granted to take a “memory trip” with their kids to New York City to make fun memories and leave the treatments, etc. behind for a few days.

Mike has been diagnosed gliosarcoma (more aggressive, faster-moving, more resistant to treatment), that morphed from the original diagnosis of Grade IV glioblastoma.  He had surgery in April and is now in a 30-session radiation treatment in the Houston Medical Center, taking oral chemo. He was in a clinical trial study but was dropped after only one application, in favor of Optune technology that will hopefully start in late July or early August.

Mike’s wish was granted for assistance to take a short trip with his wife, Donna, who he says is his “bride-along, my reason for living”.

 

In December 2018, Tina was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. Surgery was successful to remove all of it from her colon, but it had already metastasized to her lymph nodes and liver. She completed 18 chemo treatments and got to ring the bell for Chemo Graduation six months later. Shortly thereafter, she learned that there is a new spot on her liver and the cancer has spread to her lungs. There is no surgery, chemo or radiation options available that could help the outcome of this situation.

Tina’s bucket list includes taking a trip to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios and seeing the ocean. Her wish is being granted!

“David is loved by everyone he comes in contact with. He has never married nor has any children so he continues to work despite his pain and illness progression. Daily he puts smiles on others’ faces and never asks for anything. He was just diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. Despite finishing chemo recently, it has progressed to his stomach.”

David was visited at the hospital by Chris Pronger of the St. Louis Blues!

Stella’s Wish Foundation will also give a dinner party for David with his friends and coworkers at The Christy Banquet Center.

 

 

 

 

Detanya is a lovely 45-year-old single woman diagnosed in January 2019 with stage IVB cervical cancer. She does not have family where she lives on Staten Island. Her ability to socialize has been limited by her chemotherapy and side effects of treatment and disease process.   Detanya wished for a laptop so that she would be able to communicate with family in Chicago, friends whose schedules do not allow visits and participate in online groups through SHARE and Cancer Care.  Detanya’s wish has been granted!

Irene Schleissing is 32 years old, a mother of 2,  and a stage 4 colon cancer patient. Certain chemotherapy treatments made neuropathy in her hand so bad that she couldn’t use them, so they tried radiation and other chemo but it wasn’t working well. After a year, she went back to the original treatments but then had such a bad reaction that she went into anaphylactic shock and almost didn’t make it. After trying other treatments that didn’t work, she is hoping to participate in a clinical trial of another.

Meanwhile, Irene wished to take her family to Universal Studios in Orlando “to make memories that will last longer than our time together.”

Irene’s wish has been granted and she will travel with her husband and two daughters to Universal Studios in Florida.

Deanna Habasek was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer and also has cancer in her brain. She has undergone chemo and radiation. Sadly, the lesions in her brain have increased. A couple months ago, she was told to “prepare” and that she had 4-5 months to enjoy on earth. She called her aunt the other day, very sad and crying.  Deanna would like to take her daughter and grandkids on a “family vacation”, something she has never been able to do or provide for. She wants to create memories for her daughter and two grandsons to remember her by.

Deanna’s family was able surprise her on her birthday with a granted wish – transportation and accommodations for Deanna, her daughter and two grandchildren so they could visit Wisconsin Dells with other family members who will provide for themselves.