Two New Babies and a Promising MRI
December 11, 2012 | News & Press Releases
On Dec. 3, Doug and Teresa Kollasch loaded up for the 90-minute trip from their home in Algona, IA, where Doug is the product manager at Hy-Vee, for yet another doctor’s appointment in Albert Lea, MN.
It’s a routine Doug has been performing regularly since he began treatment on his Stage 3 brain tumor on July 30. To help with the trips, Doug has been joined on the road by a steady rotation of travel partners that includes friends, relatives, fellow members of the Knights of Columbus and his wife. But this most recent trip featured two new passengers, 1-month-old twins, Carter and Lilly Kollasch.
“The nurses and everyone had to see the twins,” says Doug, the happy and proud, albeit sleep deprived, father. “So we took them up there for the first time.”
Since July, when the Kollasches found out Doug had cancer less than three months after joyfully announcing Teresa’s pregnancy, Doug has undergone 30 straight days of radiation treatment and continuous chemotherapy in an effort to shrink the tumor. When the doctors feel like the tumor has shrunk enough it can be removed from his head.
Along the way Doug, a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus, has never lost faith that he would not only hold both of his babies, but get to see them grow up. An MRI on November 29, the first progress report on how the treatment was going, showed the tumor had reduced in size by approximately 20 percent.
“Going through all of this stuff doesn’t seem so bad if you’re actually seeing good results,” Doug says. “The radiation and the chemo are actually working and the doctor says it’s going great.”
The people surrounding him help too. Doug and Teresa estimate Hy-Vee and the Knights of Columbus have combined to raise $10,000 so far to help with medical bills.
“The great support from my family, friends, Hy-Vee and the Knights of Columbus has been quite amazing,” he says.
The next MRI is scheduled in February. Then they will reevaluate whether it’s time to operate. In the meantime the attention is on the twins and Doug says they are much more than a lot of work and a welcome distraction.
“Everyone was always asking about me before, now everybody is so excited about the twins. They all have to come over to see them,” Doug says. “They are just adorable, they’re truly a blessing.”