Blood Drive Will Benefit St. Clairsville Man
Medical Roller Coaster For?College Student
Garrett Holubeck’s medical roller coaster ride began back in November when he felt some sharp pain in his back after lifting a heavy television.
When severe stomach pains added to the ongoing back pain, Garrett and his parents, Mary and Gary Holubeck, went to the emergency room at Wheeling Hospital.
An MRI revealed a large mass in his abdomen, which ended up being a malignant tumor in his lower back.
In December, the St. Clairsville resident was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, and the next day Garrett started his first cycle of chemotherapy across town at West Penn Hospital. He was classified as having stage-four cancer.
For a while, he wasn’t able to eat solid food because of ulcers in his stomach. He was originally 155 pounds but gained more than 20 pounds in retaining fluid, and once the chemo started he plummeted to 127 pounds.
His mother was frantically trying to get any nutrition into him she could while Garrett had no appetite. Mary said it was a very trying Christmas season.
“I want my son to live a long, happy life,” Mary Holubeck said.
Garrett has two brothers and a sister, and they along with other family, friends and the community all rallied around the Holubecks, who own and operate St. Clair Lanes.
He graduated from St. John Central Catholic High School in 2014, and has finished two years in a speech pathology program at Kent State University. He hopes to return to classes next fall.
Eventually medical professionals in Pittsburgh diagnosed him with a rare form of cancer called Burkitt’s lymphoma. The disease is very aggressive, but it also responds positively to chemotherapy.
In January, Garrett began his second round of chemotherapy, which was specifically focused on Burkitt’s. This past week Garrett’s tests revealed no cancer cells present. He will be closely monitored for the next two years to make sure it doesn’t return.
Lymphoma is a blood cancer and Garrett has used six units of A-positive blood so far. He expects to take between four to six more units before he is finished with his treatment.
A blood drive is being held by the Central Blood Bank in Marian Hall at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in St. Clairsville from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday. There will also be a bake sale and raffle, which will benefit the Holubecks.
There is a tremendous need for blood at this time, and donations will not only benefit Garrett but all of those in the region who desperately need it.
Garrett said his Catholic faith along with the prayers and the support of people he never met have helped sustain him over the past three months.
COMMENTS