Scott Ball, the quiet and big heart man whom I share life, nearly 15 years of marriage, 3 girls, and everyday as my partner is in the middle of a storm. We need your help, prayers, and love as we walk through this really hard time. He is the most understated man who would never say how much the little gestures mean to him.  

The story of what happened:
Labor Day 2019 Scott had what felt like some sawdust in his eye.  He went to the eye doctor and was diagnosed all in the same day with Ocular Melanoma by the doctors at the Lion's Eye Care Center University Hospital. We were honestly shocked and had never even heard of melanoma of your eye.  We learned quickly that this super rare form of cancer is related to cells that multiply on the back of your eye and then can spread into your bloodstream. Scott had plaque surgery where radiation beads were placed in his eye and treated the primary location of the cancer and we have lived pretty normal for the past two years. With the exception that Scott lost vision in his eye we thanked God for the blessing that he had no other major difficulties.  The fear was always that metastatic cancer would show up in his liver or lungs.  Unfortunately Ocular Melanoma responds very differently than most types of cancer to chemo or radiation when it metastasizes other places in the body so treatment options are pretty limited.  Well after lots of tests and a biopsy Scott has been confirmed to have stage 4 ocular melanoma with metastatic cancer to his liver. He was told this news on his 38th birthday this year. 

The good news: Scott only has the one spot of his liver so far. Making surgery to remove the spot a possibility.  My sister and her husband, Amy and Lane, have taken on Genevieve(8) and Magnolia (6)  during the week so that they get to go to school in person and have some space to be kids away from all the sickness. We still have them home on weekends to spend time together. We have Louella (2) home with us full time as she's young enough to need us and she and Scott really are besties and couldn't make it without daily cuddle time. We have also had support and prayer from many family members, friends, and people wanting to help. 

The bad news: Scott recently was informed that his job is ending as of 4/30/21 on top of everything else.  He's worked supporting some of the most difficult youth and kids imaginable in a work setting that is unlike what many can imagine. He has worked in residential treatment since Genevieve was born nearly 9 years ago. He has to help call 911 when kids attempt suicide while in his care, he has to restrain kids from trying to hurt themselves and others. He's been bitten, hit, had his glasses broken and been treated poorly many times.  He has leaned into this job as a calling instead of running away like so many do after working there just a few months. He feels as though he was supposed to be there to help create as stable of an environment possible for kids and youth who are often thrown away by everyone else in society.  He has been a mentor and a support working at Tennyson Center for Children for nearly 9 years.  Any of you who know Scott know that he is consistent and hard working.  Scott rarely takes a day off and sees himself as the one who will come through. He's worked every Thanksgiving and Christmas since he started there meaning even our kids would delay Christmas many  years so Daddy could be home with us to celebrate. So to loose his job on top of getting a stage 4 cancer diagnosis seems wrong and unfair.  

What's next: Scott will have a liver resection, surgery to remove the spot on his liver, in the next few weeks. We pray and hope that it can happen soon but we are not in control. We will then look into experimental immunotherapies to try to stop the cancer in its tracks and prevent any further metastatic growth. 

Its hard to know how to ask for help because Scott and I both are the helpers. I, Rebecca, work as a social worker also in the child welfare system directly managing teams of caseworkers and making sure we take the best care of kids and families giving them a chance at healthy safe futures.  We are the ones who love to come along side people and be there for them.  We really have so much hope that we have many years to come to spend time together and for Scott to get to see our girls grow up. 

So for any of you who want to help give Scott a call or send him a text to let him know you think of him.  It really means the world to him. 

I've included a go fund me sight to help Scott buy a kiln as he is a potter and has a passion to make beautiful everyday items. We found a used one for 3000 dollars and it will cost a little more to get it installed correctly by an electrician. He currently has to wait weeks to get his pottery fired at the local community ceramics studio. He has always wanted a kiln and I think it could be really healing for him having just lost his job to be able to do pottery and heal.  I also am scared to death that we will lose him and I'll be raising our three beautiful girls alone. Scott is also devastated to possibly be leaving us without the provision he would choose to be leaving behind for me and his girls given more warning.  But please don't feel obligated to help us because we are not in as bad a situation as so many others in this crazy time in our worlds history. We know God is good and we will trust in Him.