Families are expected to experience challenges, but what the Offrinks are going through may be labelled as a double tragedy: both parents are now fighting cancer.
The young parents, Ben and Shelby, live in Lowell, Michigan, with their two children, Hazel, 14 months, and Maeve, 3. Shelby was then working as an engineer while Ben was a stay-at-home dad.
Their normal lives were forever changed in 2014, however. Shelby delivered her Hazel prematurely and after only a few months, her doctors discovered that she had grade IV glioblastoma on her spine. Not only is this rare, but it's also incurable. She immediately went through intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
However, a little over the middle of the year, her husband, Ben, had a relapse of his Hodgkin's lymphoma. The series of cancer diagnosis was certainly not something Luke Tomczak, Shelby's brother, found believable.
To make things even more difficult, in one of her recent scans, the doctors discovered that there were three new tumors growing in Shelby's brain. The first round of chemotherapy for Ben, meanwhile, didn't work and that the only chance of survival right now is a bone marrow transplant. But before he can even get to such point, the second round of chemo should be successful.
In the latest update, Shelby is undergoing radiation in Lemmon Holton Center and has a feeding tube for her nourishment. Doctors are working on managing her pain. Ben already has two matching donors.
Despite the hardships, both couples have remained positive. According to Tomczak, her sister has been witty, full of sense of humor, and intelligent, as she battles her cancer.
Families and friends continue to rally behind them, who they often describe to be some of the kindest people they have ever met. They are raising funds to help keep up with the medical bills, especially since Shelby no longer works and is on a permanent disability insurance. These include a spaghetti dinner and a Hoops for Hope basketball in their area's high school.
They have also set up a fund-raising page for the family with a goal of $100,000. So far, they have already raised more than $60,000. For those who wish to donate, they can look for their Youcaring page called Ben and Shelby 2015.
