Local woman’s fundraiser to help stepfather battling leukemia and a brain tumor

IDAHO FALLS — They asked for prayers, but a local daughter is also looking to the community to help raise funds for her stepfather battling leukemia and a brain tumor.

Stephyni Grogan of Pocatello spoke with EastIdahoNews.com about her GoFundMe, which aims to raise $5,500 for her stepfather, Eddie Collins.

Leukemia and a brain tumor

Grogan said that 10 years ago, her stepfather was diagnosed with leukemia and has been taking treatment and working as a truck driver, hauling freight across the country.

It was a few years ago when they found a schwannoma, a type of brain tumor, at the base of his skull that has continued to grow despite radiation treatment to kill it.

This tumor has caused issues for Collins, causing him to go deaf in one ear, have vertigo and painful headaches that interrupt his ability to drive.

“He’ll drive as many hours in the day as the system will allow him to,” Grogan said. “He constantly has headaches. He is in pain all the time. They get so bad that he can’t function.”

However, the growth has continued, and Collins is now preparing for surgery in October.

Grogan said the hope for the fundraiser is to help alleviate the burden Collin, her mother, and her grandmother will face as he undergoes surgery and recovery.

Grogan said her stepfather is the main breadwinner for her mother, Tracey, and her grandmother. She said her mother used to work at an assisted living facility but left after being diagnosed with arthritis and suffering a rotator cuff injury.

This also coincided with her grandmother’s need for full-time care.

“He is a very determined person; he works so hard. My entire life, he’s been one of those people who goes and goes, and puts everybody in front of himself,” Grogan said.

She said Collins’s insurance will cover most of the surgery, but the issue will be the recovery downtime.

What post-surgery looks like for Collins is up to three months of recovery, but what the effects of the surgery will be remains up in the air.

Grogan said there is a best-case scenario and a worst-case scenario, with the best case involving him going deaf on one side and the possibility of using hearing aids to help retrain his hearing.

The worst case involves a form of partial paralysis in his face or body and going fully deaf.

More than just a stepfather

Describing her stepfather, Grogan said he is charismatic and like a phone book, knowing everyone regardless of location.

Laughing, she recalled times when they lived in South Carolina, that any family excursion would take 15 minutes longer if Collins met someone he knew. She said, “He connects with people on this really great level, and I don’t have that skill.”

When Collins met Grogan’s mother and got married, she recalls that he always treated her and her brother as his own children.

“He loved us for who we were, and he poured every bit of effort he could into being a good dad to us,” Grogan said. “He really taught us work ethic, and he taught us kindness, and he taught us integrity.”

Moving to Idaho in 2011, Grogan’s grandmother needed help as her health began to decline. Despite moving away, Grogan said her stepfather took the move in stride and made new friends and connections.

With these operations looming, Grogan said the GoFundMe was meant to help her parents in any way.

“My parents are very religious. They came to us asking for prayers,” Grogan said. “Anything helps. Prayers help. Sharing the GoFundMe helps. Donations are an incredible blessing.”

Those who are interested in donating to the GoFundMe can visit the link here.