Welcome
If you're here reading this - Thank You.
Most of us come into a New Year with high hopes, lofty goals, and new ambitions. For my family, however, 2018 was life-altering. Our story is one that exists against incredible, truly unbelievable odds. As most of the world chose New Year’s Resolutions - my family waited with baited breath, never realizing that what was about to unfold was even the most remote of possibilities.
This site exists as our unified voice as we battle against Cancer alongside our father and in memory of our Mom, who lost the fight. Never should anyone fight alone.
As the year went on, our story evolved and took unimageinable twists and turns. So has (and will) this site continue to evole and change with the flow of our lives. Our father is weathing the storm well, though we all know there is not yet a CURE for cancer. Our Mom now watches over each of us from heaven. Her, along with our grandma who passed away in 2011 after losing the battle against lung cancer, numerous other loved ones who have gone before, and the brave warriors who fell from the relentless attack known the world over as cancer.
Though our parents divorced in the late 90's, they remained friends and both sides of our blended family came together in support of each individual as they walked their separate paths. As our Mom's time on earth came to it's all-too-soon end, our Dad was right with us at her beside in the hospital.
Grief, loss, love, and family transcend boundaries and relationships of all kind. Our story is living and memorialized proof of just that.
Our sincere appreciation to all who made purchases from the awareness store and donations to the cancer care funds and as condolences after we lost our mom. The previous donation channel - YouCaring is now part of GoFundMe and we've closed our donation accounts for the time being. Should the need again arise, we'll create new funds in the future.
The awareness store may also be re-launched if an appropriate need exists.
In the meantime, please use the menu at the top of the page to read about our Dad's (Joe) journey or our Mom's (Linda) legacy. For my part, I will continue to update this site and do what I am called to do - write. From the outset, I've been writing the story of our lives, and am process of formalizing a format in order to share that story with the world. There is more to come. Check back often to see what has developed.
~TJ
(with my siblings Steve & Jill and our extended family & the incredible network of friends, supporters, survivors, and fellow warriors who have surrounded us throughout this all)
in loving memory
It is with heavy hearts, endless tears, and eternal love that we grieve the loss of our Mom, Linda. She left this earth on July 14th, 2018. Never again will she have to take another pill, receive another injection, endure a hospital stay, manage a needle poke, writhe in pain, or suffer in silence. She entered into God's loving embrace and has joined her Mom, Grandparents, and Granddaughters who preceeded her in death.
She will always be remembered as a bright light that shone in a dark world. Though she may be gone from this world, she will always be a part of each of us who's lives she helped create or touched in her 61 years, though no amount of time would ever be long enough.
As a continued outlet, a tribute, and a way to express myself - I'll continue to write "Letters to Momma" which replace regular medical or other updates.
We have immense gratitude and appreciation for each and every individual who provided support, thoughts, prayers, time, financial contributions or participation in this journey. She never fought alone.
~T (on behalf of the extended Polzin families)