Brian Washburn is a husband and father to 8 children- 3 of which are in the cast of Footloose! He has been fighting cancer for the past 2 years, with 10 tumors and multiple surgeries. Brian is a builder, and an avid outdoorsman, and has been a supporter of the arts over the years as his wife and kids are very active in the theater community. He is nominated by his oldest daughter, who shared this about her father: "My dad, Brian, is my hero in every way. I’m the oldest in my family. There’s 8 of us kids and we all absolutely LOVE him to pieces! I know this will be far more than you’ve asked for, but it’s all so important to me, so please feel free to share any pieces you feel are most important! Two years ago today they discovered that my dad had cancer. Clear cell renal carcinoma: Kidney Cancer. Since that day he has spent every moment of uncertainty fighting. His symptoms came on very suddenly and after a very traumatic few days, we had our diagnosis. A mass the size of a baseball on his right kidney caught us completely by surprise. He has had 5 surgeries in 14 months, including a full removal of his kidney and the gigantic mass. Since that day, he has spent every moment of pain fighting. Quickly afterwards, we found that the cancer was spread much further than just his kidneys into his back, shoulders, and terrifyingly, his lungs. He has now had 4 rounds of immunotherapy so far and will be continuing for another year. He still finds every chance to speak of miracles in his life even in the midst of his fight. One big miracle was this past March when he had 2 of the rapidly growing tumors in his lungs blasted through radiation. It was a moving experience for me to reflect on this today, especially since his health continues to worsen despite the treatments. Just this week they sent him into emergency visits because of declining numbers related to his one “good” kidney. After weeks at the hospital and countless tests, they are still uncertain as to the best course of action to ensure his stability moving forward. What a rollercoaster of a week this has been. Through it all, my family members have been the most incredible examples to me of strength and hope. They, especially my dad, have spent every moment of pain, uncertainty, and disappointment sharing messages of hope and optimism with those they meet. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have them. The fight goes on but for now we have each other and that is enough."
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