David’s Story

Site created on February 2, 2019

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.


After developing a persistent cough around Christmas, David had a chest X-ray done and a mass was discovered in his right lung. Further testing has revealed the mass to be non-small-cell lung cancer - specifically, a poorly differentiated carcinoma. The testing also discovered the presence of smaller masses in two lymph nodes near the carcinoma. Due to the location of the lymph nodes impacted, surgical removal of the cancer is not possible.  That's the bad news. 


Now the good news. All three masses are are local to the right side of the chest. There is no evidence of further spreading. The initial treatment plan calls for six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Luckily, all three masses are close together and are in a part of the body that is safe to treat with radiation. Because of their close proximity they can be treated by a single radiotherapy port (one focused beam of radiation that will impact all three masses at once). 


The chemotherapy and radiation treatment are scheduled to begin the week of February 4th and continue through the week of March 11th. During this time please pray for strength for David and the family, guidance for the doctors, and for the cancer to respond to the treatment.  We will post updates as new information becomes available.  After the initial treatment period further tests will be run to determine what, if any, additional treatment is needed.


--Jason Peel (David's Brother)

Newest Update

Journal entry by Jason Peel

As many of you have probably heard, David's battle with cancer ended December 24th. He passed peacefully at home surrounded by loving family. The cancer may have won the battle, but the real winner on December 24th was Heaven. Heaven got a new amazing angel who no doubt made the celebration of Jesus's birth an even better party. It was impossible to NOT have fun with David at a party. 

David touched the lives of everyone he met. He truly put others ahead of himself and that selflessness is why he is loved so deeply and by so many. He taught me how to be a man, a husband, a father, a brother and a friend. I will miss him every day until I see him again. But I can rejoice knowing he is no longer confined to the body that cancer destroyed and that he is pain free. 

Thank you all for your faithful support for David and for our family over the past 12 months. It has meant more to us than I can adequately express. Please join us for a Celebration of Life service for David at 2 pm Saturday, December 28th in the sanctuary at Frazer UMC (6000 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery, AL 36117). The family will receive visitors in the parlor at Frazer from 12 pm to 2 pm, prior to the service.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests charitable contributions to The Family Guidance Center of Alabama (2358 Fairlane Drive, Montgomery, AL 36116), or to a charity of your choice.
Patients and caregivers love hearing from you; add a comment to show your support.
Help David Stay Connected to Family and Friends

A $25 donation to CaringBridge powers a site like David's for two weeks. Will you make a gift to help ensure that this site stays online for them and for you?

Comments Hide comments

Show Your Support

See the Ways to Help page to get even more involved.

SVG_Icons_Back_To_Top
Top