ATHOL — It feels like terrible déjà vu for Carrie and Hannah Morton.
The mother and daughter watched helplessly as Hannah’s father, Robert, battled brain cancer for two and a half years and they cared for him until he died on Dec. 14, following 10 days in hospice. So they know all too well what David Buzzell and his family members are going through.
Buzzell, the father of Hannah’s best friend, Adrianna, is combating stage 4 stomach cancer and unable to work.
“My daughter and I were talking and it’s almost like she’s going through it again,” she said, referring to her late ex-husband’s fight. “I want to be there for (the Buzzells).” So the Mortons have organized a benefit for Saturday, June 18, to generate money to cover Buzzell’s medical expenses, transportation costs and other needs he may have.
“Everybody has been amazing, as far as donating stuff,” she said, adding that while she can’t do anything medically to alleviate Buzzell’s cancer, she can do her best to drum up community support. “It’s been wonderful.”
Buzzell told The Recorder that Mrs. Morton started a campaign page on the crowdfunding website GoFundMe.com and the page has been flooded with kind words and well-wishes from people, including several of his classmates from the 1982 graduating class of Athol High School.
Buzzell, an Army veteran, said he used to work as a machine operator for S&E Specialty Polymers in Lunenburg and the company donated $1,000 to the GoFundMe campaign, which is titled “David’s Fight.” As of 3 p.m. on Tuesday, $2,260 had been donated by 25 people in one month.
Buzzell said he discovered a lump on his head two and a half years ago and visited his primary care physician and a dermatologist, who initially thought it was a harmless cyst. But Buzzell said he eventually bumped his head and the lump changed colors and grew in size. A biopsy revealed he had merkel cell carcinoma, a rare form of skin cancer. Buzzell underwent surgery to remove a portion of skin from his scalp and endured radiation treatments.
He said he began regular scans because merkel cell can spread anywhere in the body and in October doctors found two or three nodes on his stomach lining, which a biopsy revealed was merkel cell. Buzzell said a clinical trial for a new chemotherapy pill was ineffective, as was an IV immunotherapy treatment. He said Bristol-Meyers Squibb donated the medicine, which costs $4,500 per treatment, because his insurance would not cover it. He said he is now undergoing “old-fashioned chemo,” which seems to help. Buzzell has a round of treatment scheduled for this week, but he hopes to be in top shape for the benefit.
Carrie Morton said she met Buzzell years ago when he worked with her brothers at Athol House of Pizza. She said she sees in Buzzell the same fight exhibited by her late ex-husband.
“David is not a complainer. He never complains. All this man wants to do is go to work and take care of his family,” she said. “That’s all he wants to do.”
The benefit is slated for 6 p.m. to midnight at the Orange American Legion at 40 Daniel Shays Highway. Tickets are $10 for people 14 and older. Carrie Morton said the event is child-friendly from 6 to 9 p.m.
The dinner will be potluck and area businesses have donated items and gift certificates for a raffle. Carrie has also put together baskets to be raffled off. To purchase tickets, call her at 978-870-7962.
You can reach Domenic Poli at:
dpoli@recorder.com or
413-772-0261, ext. 258.
On Twitter: @DomenicPoli