Residents in the village of Coon Valley are joining together for the sake of two families residing in the community of 713, who are both dealing with the realities of living with and dying from cancer.

On Saturday, May 10, a joint benefit will be held at the Coon Valley Village Hall for Mike Johnson, age 59, who is suffering from Adenocarcinoma and for the family of Richard Galstad, age 63, who passed away on April 12 of Acute Myeloid Genesis Leukemia.

Johnson and Galstad were more than just Coon Valley residents; they were friends, neighbors and co-workers. Their children attended the Westby Area School District, they both attended Coon Valley Lutheran Church, their families lived only blocks from one another, they were both employed at the same plant at Trane Company in La Crosse, and after years of carpooling they were the best of friends.

That longtime friendship came to an end on April 12 when Galstad passed away after losing his battle with cancer. For the past two years Galstad’s doctors had been monitoring his elevated white blood cell count. With a normal white blood cell count of 13,000 and Galstad’s running at 33,000, he had reason to be concerned, but when his count ballooned to 153,000 on December 7, his family had more than a reason to worry, they had reason to fear the worst, while still hoping for the best.

Galstad began taking an oral form of chemotherapy in December of 2007. At a cost of $1,200 per pill, an average dose of 1-to-4 pills daily, the Galstad’s were thankful they had health insurance. Galstad was one of the fortunate patients who suffered only a few side effects of taking the strong chemotherapy drug. According to his wife, Gloria, he lost his hair and some weight, but for Galstad the worst side effect forced him to receive blood transfusions on a weekly basis.

The Galstads were ecstatic about Dick’s steady improvement that is until Valentine’s Day, when blood tests showed the drugs had stopped working and his blood cell counts were skyrocketing once again. Doctors were in the process of establishing a new regimen of medications for Galstad when he landed in the hospital for weeks. Galstad was quickly losing his strength and hopes of a rebound were fading fast. He was released from the hospital long enough to return home for his 63rd birthday on March 28th, but returned to the hospital the next day. Galstad was placed on Hospice three days before he went into a coma and died on April 12, one month before the benefit for the family was scheduled to be held.

Anyone who knew Dick Galstad knew he was a family man first, followed closely by his devotion to his community. He loved family reunions, picnics, celebrations and any opportunity to be with the ones he loved. His undying faith kept him strong until his last breath and his sense of humor kept others from falling apart near the end.

Galstad was never bitter about being sick. He just learned to deal with the diagnosis. After all his diagnosis wasn’t the family’s first encounter with heartache. Galstad himself won a battle with testicular cancer 10 years earlier, but they lost their oldest daughter, Melissa, to a brain tumor in 1979 at the age of nine. The Galstad’s battled Melissa’s cancer for seven years before her death and Dick worked two jobs to pay off the hospital bills the family accumulated during her illness.

“Dick worked two jobs and it took us 10 years to pay off Melissa’s bill, but we did. He was such a wonderful man and I miss him tremendously. He put up such a strong front to the end and he taught me to make the most of every moment, because it really could be your last,” Gloria said.

Although Dick never lived to attend the upcoming benefit, funds raised at the event will assist his wife, who not only lost the love of her life, but the financial breadwinner for the family. At the age of 58, Gloria does not qualify for Social Security and cannot collect money from her husband’s retirement until the age of 60. She is facing high medical bills from Dick’s hospitalization and must survive on her in-home day care earnings alone.

“Dick was the bread winner of the family. His strong sense of family placed me at home to care for our three children. I do day care at the house, but it’s not enough to survive on. At this point I’m not sure how I’ll make it, but I have to believe that with the help of family, friends and the community that I will survive,” Gloria Galstad said.

Gloria Galstad’s situation is difficult, but not unusual. Gloria would have qualified to receive some of her husband’s retirement benefits if he had retired, but Galstad remained an active employee in order to maintain his health insurance so he could afford the drugs which prolonged his life. His unfortunate passing left his wife without the family’s main source of financial income and her age places her in a position where she does not qualify to receive his benefits or outside assistance, like SSI or Social Security. Funds from the benefit will be used to pay medical bills and keep Galstad afloat until she is of an age to apply for her own benefits.

Mike Johnson admits that he feels lost since his friend, Dick passed away. But, Johnson is waging his own war with lung cancer; one that drains him of his strength most days and leaves him frustrated that he can’t do more to help his wife, Donna, around the house.

Johnson was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a growth of abnormal cells that multiply out of control and form a tumor. As the tumor grows, it destroys parts of the lung. Eventually, the tumor's abnormal cells can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body, including the local lymph nodes in the chest and the central portion of the chest; the liver; the bones; the adrenal glands; and other organs, including the brain.

Adenocarcinoma is more likely than other types of lung cancer to be contained in one area of the body. If it is truly localized, it may also respond better than other lung cancers to treatment, especially surgical removal of the tumor and draining lymph nodes. It is the most common form of lung cancer and typically found in smokers.

Johnson dealt with an annoying nighttime cough for almost a year before sharp pain moved into his left shoulder and sent him to the doctor. A smoker for over 40 years, he was concerned about getting lung cancer, but like so many others he just didn’t have the strength to kick the habit.

X-rays revealed a mass in Johnson’s lung and on October 31 of last year, surgeons removed the cancerous mass, along with a rib and lymph node which were also infected. Life for Johnson changed from that moment on. Doctors never admitted to Johnson that smoking caused his cancer, but they never denied it either. He no longer smokes, but suffers from chronic fatigue and battles with bouts of depression. He recently finished chemotherapy treatments, but failed to complete the last cycle after his body became too weak to withstand the intense side effects of the drugs.

“I began coughing up blood and my blood counts were not where doctors wanted them to be. So we stopped the treatment for now. The chemo drug messed with my head and screwed up my memory. I never thought chemo could do that, but it did. Now, I have good days and bad days and pray every morning that each new day is a good one,” Johnson said.

Longtime village board president, Johnson, was always community minded and misses attending board meetings since leaving office. He’s looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and throwing his two cents worth in when the new board asks for public participation.

Johnson would be the first to admit that the current board president Monte Nelson and he never saw eye-to-eye when it came to village board business, but after falling ill he’ll be forever grateful to Nelson and the entire community for lending a helping hand when he needed it most.

“Monte plowed our driveway all winter long and we all know how hard the winter was. I tried to pay him, but he refused to accept my quarter. I guess he thought I needed it more. He’s been a big part of planning this benefit so it just goes to show you that friendships go beyond the board room,” Johnson said.

The Johnson’s true strength lies in their faith. They believe in their hearts that God has a plan and Mike’s path is in his hands. Johnson is heading down a different path than his friend, Dick. He plans on taking early retirement in August, knowing he’s not physically strong enough to work 10-hour days anymore. He hopes to spend more quality time with his family, stay active in the church and help others whenever he can.

The Johnsons like the Galstads, know the devastating effects cancer has on a family. Donna’s sister passed away from breast cancer and their grandson, Garret Johnson, battled and survived a bout with cancer of the kidney.

“You learn to appreciate every day, not just take it for granted,” Mike said.

“He tells me to quit crying and take life one day at a time. I guess he’s right since in reality that’s all we can do,” Donna said.

The Galstad/Johnson benefit will be held on Saturday, May 10 at the Coon Valley Village Hall beginning at 2 p.m. Music and food will be provided along with a bake sale, pie auction and Chinese auction. Prizes include a 90cc 4-wheeler, $375 photo package, Remington, Ruger and Mossberg guns and a microwave. Matching funds will be provided through Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.