Ryan Goggin in the Fight For His Life

Army veteran battles to fund cancer treatment
ABC 10 News Miami
By Amy Viteri - Investigative Reporter
Posted: June 21, 2016

"I wasn't scared in the Army. I wasn't scared in Iraq," Ryan Goggin said. "I wasn't scared. But when they told me I had leukemia, I was scared." Ryan Goggin

MIAMI - An Army veteran who served in Iraq found an even bigger battle back in the United States, trying to get the Veterans Health Administration to fund his cancer treatment.

"I wasn't scared in the Army. I wasn't scared in Iraq," Ryan Goggin said. "I wasn't scared. But when they told me I had leukemia, I was scared."

Goggin served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army.


In March, 2010 he was 10 months into a deployment in Iraq when a roadside bomb hit his truck. A traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder ended his military career.

Goggin, 29, was healthy and active, until January. He suddenly became so weak paramedics rushed him to the Miami VA hospital. From there he went to the University of Miami Hospital for further testing. The diagnosis was acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, a type of blood cancer.

He began chemotherapy at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and said officials with the Department of Veterans Affairs initially told him they would work to cover his full treatment there.
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Fort Bragg MP Donates Stem Cells for Child with Leukemia

Soldier Donates Stem Cells for Child with Leukemia
Military.com
by Sgt. Barry St. Clair
Dec 18, 2013

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Volunteering to become a Soldier in the U.S. Army is a commitment requiring dedication, sacrifice and courage. Soldiers often lead a life of voluntary service to the community in other ways than honoring their countrymen through duty.

Spc. Amanda N. Reynolds of Weleetka, Okla., serves as an investigator in the 42nd Military Police Detachment, 16th MP Brigade, out of Fort Bragg, N.C. In addition to her commitment as a Soldier, Reynolds is a very dedicated and giving person. She is actively involved in the C. W. Bill Young Department of Defense Marrow Donor Program, a life-sustaining program open to all healthy people between the ages of 18 and 60.

Reynolds registered as a donor in Oklahoma and the DoD donor program. She had never really considered the option until one near-death experience made her realize the importance and fragile nature of life.

Reynolds has been a military policewoman in the U.S. Army for seven years, deploying to Baghdad, Iraq, twice for her country. Reynolds was part of the elite Military Police Soldiers who are also airborne paratroopers.

One day in October 2011, was her last scheduled jump on jump status. Soldiers on jump status receive additional pay for the hazardous task of parachuting. In turn, they are required to complete a variety of jumps regularly. She was scheduled for a night jump, and fatefully it turned out to be her last jump unexpectedly.
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Back from Afghanistan Dad surprises son in remission from Leukemia

Dad returns from Afghanistan, surprises son in remission from Leukemia
THV11 News
Marlisa Goldsmith
Nov 7, 2013

JESSIEVILLE, Ark. (KTHV) - Jessieville School District held a Veterans Day program to honor men and women are have served and are serving our country.

Fourth grade student, Jordan Lyle, was surprised to see his father show up on stage as he gave the introduction.

Lyle's father serves in the United States Air Force and just served a year in Afghanistan.
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Australia Vietnam veterans developed chronic lymphatic leukemia

Vietnam vet says study vindication
Otago Daily Times Australia
By John Gibb
Tue, 3 Sep 2013

After hearing official denials for decades, Vietnam war veteran Ted Gordon feels vindicated by University of Otago research showing New Zealand veterans of that war are twice as likely to develop chronic lymphatic leukemia.

''It shows we were right,'' he said yesterday.

The study, whose lead author is Associate Prof David McBride, of the university's preventive and social medicine department, also found a doubling of the risk of mortality from cancers of the head and neck, as well as an increase in oral cancers of the pharynx and larynx, among Vietnam veterans compared with the general population.

This is the first comprehensive study to produce ''hard data'' showing adverse health effects on New Zealand veterans from their service in Vietnam, researchers say. And the study will shortly appear in the international journal BMJ Open.
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Here is the list from the US Department of Veterans Affairs
New Conditions VA Presumes Are Related to Herbicide Exposure (Agent Orange)

Rock Hill veteran, father of 4, battling leukemia

Rock Hill veteran, father of 4, battling leukemia
Facebook page, Web site set up to help family
By Andrew Dys - adys@heraldonline.com

The license plates say veteran.

The pictures of Qatar and Kuwait and Turkey say veteran.

The guy, 36 years old, with four tiny sons, can say veteran.

But he can’t do much more.

Jeff Wyman, Air Force veteran of four deployments, has to save his strength for the chemotherapy poison that can save his life as he battles acute lymphatic leukemia.

“My daddy has cancer,” says Aaron Wyman, 6, oldest of the four sons. The son Jeff has to tell, “Be tough, you’re the man of the house,” when Jeff leaves for the hospital for days at a time.

The wife, Wendy, whom Jeff Wyman calls “incredible,” has to say things at the grocery store or doctor that this family with the youngest son just 3 months old never thought any would say.

“I have a WIC voucher,” she says of the federal Women, Infants and Children program that pays for formula and food for newborns.

Or, “I’m paying for this with food stamps,” at the checkout counter.

Or, “Here’s my Medicaid card,” when taking the boys to the doctor.

“It has been, to say the least, a very humbling experience,” said Wendy Wyman.

“We both have worked all our lives, worked hard,” Jeff Wyman said. “Now we have found out that these programs are for people who get into situations just like ours.”

Jeff Wyman is the kind of guy who never asked anybody for anything.

Read more: Rock Hill veteran, father of 4, battling leukemia

11 year old Brenden Foster sees his dying wish come true

This is the third post on this little angel. He's only been here for 11 years and has already managed to change this nation and how we look at homeless people. To think this wonderful child could have asked for anything for himself and it would have been given, he asked that we take care of the homeless and feed them. There are angels among us!

I was in the site for KOMO looking for an update and discovered this.

Go to the Problem Solvers donation page and select "Brenden Foster Food Drive" from the donation options list.



Dying boy inspires goodwill in people near and far
Watch the story
By KOMO Staff
Watch the story
BOTHELL, Wash. -- An 11-year-old boy's dying wish to feed the homeless has taken on a life of its own, sparking a movement to help the hungry nationwide. Doctors gave Brenden Foster two weeks to live. His time was up last Wednesday. "I should be gone in a week or so," he said last Friday. On Monday, groggy and medicated, Brenden was having a rough day. "Tired," he said, visibly weak. "(You) need some more medicine," said his mother, Wendy Foster, stroking his head. Leukemia halted the young life of Brenden, who once dreamed of becoming a marine photographer. Brenden has relapsed for the last time.

There is no chemo, no more transfusions; just comfort medications. "I'm hoping I'm awake when he decides to pass because I want to make sure I'm holding him," Wendy later said. Brenden survived his leukemia long enough to witness his dying wish come true. Last Friday Brenden shared his last wish to feed the homeless.

On Monday, Brenden could barely keep his eyes open as he watched a video of volunteers feeding Seattle's homeless on his behalf.

Over the weekend, his wish went national on CNN. And KOMO News received phone calls from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Clearly in pain, Brenden still managed to smile as he listened to stories about the phone calls and e-mails his story had inspired. His story touched many people from all walks of life, from families fighting cancer to men in the military.

"I think it's great, all over the country..." Brenden said.

"He made my dream come true. In my lifetime, I wanted to change the world and my son did that," said Wendy. "The world is such a beautiful place and (that became) evident the last 72 hours, and Brenden did that."

Brenden has one more wish for the afterlife: become an angel who accomplishes even more in heaven than he did on Earth.

go here for more

http://www.komonews.com/news/problemsolvers/34241094.html

11 year old Brenden Foster's dying wish, feed the homeless

Brenden Foster said he wants to be an angel so that he can help the homeless from Heaven. Get ready to cry for this sweet child when you watch this video. He's proof there are angels here on earth already. He's one of them.

Last wish: Feed homeless 2:18
Feeding the homeless is a Washington state 11-year-old's last wish. KOMO has the story.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/11/09/jaffey.wa.last.wish.komo
Boy shares heartbreaking last wish

LYNNWOOD, Wash. -- Doctors gave 11-year-old Brenden Foster two weeks to live.

Those two weeks were up on Wednesday. On Friday, he shared his last wish.

Not yet a teenager, Brenden's time to die has come.

"I should be gone in a week or so," he said.

Brenden was the kid who ran the fastest, climbed the highest and dreamed of becoming a marine photographer. Leukemia took away all those things, but not his dying wish to help others.

"He's always thought about others. Never complained about having to go through this, ever," said his mother, Wendy Foster.

When Brenden was first diagnosed with leukemia, he and his mom began a new tradition. Every night they list three positive things that happened during the day, and they have to share a laugh. A chuckle will do, Brenden said, but a fake laugh will never do.

In the last days of his life, it was a homeless camp, namely Nickelsville, that captured the boy's heart.

"I was coming back from one of my clinic appoints and I saw this big thing of homeless people, and then I thought I should just get them something," he said.

Brenden is too ill to leave his bed and feed the homeless. He walked into an emergency room last December and hasn't walked since.
go here for more
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/34127439.html

Agent Orange:Vietnam veterans urged to seek testing

Vietnam veterans urged to seek testing
By William Johnson • wjohnson@dailyworld.com • June 29, 2008


Link Savoie, a well-known local veteran's advocate, has recently been diagnosed with CLL, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells.

While the diagnosis is scary, Savoie said he is fortunate for several reasons. The first is that CLL is a slow growing form of cancer. Many people with CLL lead normal and active lives for many years - in some cases for decades.

"My doctors tell me if I have to have one, this is the one to have," Savoie said.

But the most important reason is that, after years of court battles by veterans' groups, the disease is now listed as one of 11 that can be caused by exposure to Agent Orange, a herbicide widely used during the Vietnam War.

As a result, the Veteran's Administration offers compensation and disability payments to sufferers in addition to help with its treatment.
go here for more
http://www.dailyworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080629/NEWS01/806290303/1002