Car Drawing Update: we still need to sell 50 tickets

The drawing for the car is this Saturday and we still have approximately 50 more tickets to sell. We have to cover the cost of the car so it's important that we sell the rest of the tickets before the drawing. I voted to delay the drawing but that's not going to happen. If you know someone that wants a ticket but hasn't got one then have them give Melody a call at 941-756-2847. You don't have to be present to win. Thanks to all those that have bought tickets.

Surgery Update 9/10/08

Some of you may not be aware of this but Heath's been having a lot more pain and has lost mobility of his legs. Last night he was admitted at Moffitt so they could do an MRI and try to get his pain under control. The MRI showed that the tumors are growing into or around the spine which seems to be what has been causing the intense pain and problems with his legs.

Karis and Gary talked with Heath about his options and they decided to allow the doctors to operate on Heath's back to remove the part of the tumor that is encroaching on the spine. The doctors said that the surgery went well but he is in a lot of pain. He will be in ICU overnight and hopefully be comfortable enough to be moved to a room tomorrow. He will have a couple weeks of recovery time from the surgery. The doctors said that he was definitely strong enough to endure the surgery which is no doubt due to the alternative treatments he has been getting as well as his diet. They made it clear that this is just to make him more comfortable and to help minimize his pain. This may also help him get mobility back in his legs. We are still praying for a total cure and total healing of Heath's body. So please join us in praying for these things.

Tampa Bay Quarter Midget Racing Association is sponsering a charity race for Heath

On Saturday September 6, the Tampa Bay Quarter Midget Racing Association is sponsoring a charity race for Heath. Proceeds from the race will go to the Heath Sammons Medical Fund. The Tampa Bay Quarter Midget Racing Association is affiliated with Quarter Midgets of America, a youth racing organization for kids 5 to 16 years old. Here is a link to there website, http://www.tampabayqmra.com/tampabay/default.html.

The following is posted on their website:

"Charity Race...
The Charity Race is coming soon! Saturday September, 6 our quarter midget drivers will be racing for a young man named Heath Sammons. Heath is the son of Manatee County Sheriff's Lieutenant/Bomb Commander Gary Sammons. Heath has osteosarcoma and it has now spread to his lungs. Heath's condition has been deemed inoperable and he has become chemo resistant. Heath's parents are doing all they can to keep their son alive and have turned to alternative medications which are not covered by insurance and as we all know is very expensive. You can visit http://www.heathsupdate.blogspot.com/ to learn more on Heath's condition. There is a fund called Heath Sammons Medical Fund at Manatee River Community Bank which is where the proceeds will go. We are hoping that Heath will feel up to coming to the event and meeting the kids and dropping the first green flag of the day! Registration fees for the event will be $30 per car and don't forget this is a double points race! I will let you know if we are going to still do the covered dish soon. This will be an awards race! Let's make this an awesome race and raise some money for Heath."

Chad Geary works with Gary on the bomb squad and he has a son that will be racing. His name is Seth. So we would like to invite everyone to come out to the race to help support Heath and to cheer for Seth.

For track information and directions, you can visit there website at http://www.tampabayqmra.com/tampabay/Track.htm

We Believe

Heath and family would like to thank everyone who has been supportive through his battle. So many of you have been in prayer for Heath as well as for the rest of us and daily we are seeing God’s miracles. We are also very grateful for the financial support that we have received in Heath’s fight with cancer.

From the beginning, we have tried to help spread awareness so that we may help others that are battling similar cancers. Moffitt and Mass General have been so wonderful and without them we don’t think we could have saved Heath’s life. Now we have been forced down another path as Heath’s body has become chemo resistant. Currently, we are building up Heath’s immune systems to allow his body to fight the cancer. Therefore we have sought out several different alternative medicines/treatments and would like to spread awareness of what we have learned to help others.

We have always been open to where God would lead us to save Heath’s life. One Sunday morning, Bayside Community Church had a special quest speaker. Dr. Guy daSilva was speaking on Anti-aging and Wellness, how to prevent cancer and other diseases. Jim and I both looked at each other and knew that Heath needed to listen to what this doctor had to say. Then several months later when the chemo was no longer an option we took Heath to see Dr. daSilva. We all agreed that in order for Heath to have any chance at survival we would need to immediately change his diet as well as put him on vitamins and supplements. In addition, Dr. daSilva has offered Heath well documented intravenous therapies that are proven to effectively support the body’s ability to fight cancer. Currently Heath is seeing the doctor daily and the tumor is stable, which is a miracle. The type of cancer that Heath has is extremely aggressive since it can spread as well as double in size within 90 days. In the last ninety days the tumor has not grown and we are praying that his strengthened immune system is killing the tumor. Heath is getting stronger everyday.

We want to especially thank Dr. daSilva for praying over Heath along with his dedicated hours of research. Dr. daSilva has donated many additional hours, therapies, and supplements to help defray some of the cost of Heath’s treatments. Heath and Karis have developed a special bond with Dr. daSilva, Tina his wife as well as the Office Liaison Jessica. As you pray for Heath would you also pray for the doctor as we all work together build Heath up.

Also a special thanks to Dr. Christian Thompson DC – Christian Chiropractic for praying for Heath and donating treatments to adjust Heath’s body.

For the information regarding Heath’s treatments here are the links:

http://www.dasilvainstitute.com/ (941) 388-0940

http://themikeycenter.net/ HYPERBARIC (oxygen treatment chamber)

Thompson, Christian DC - Christian Chiropractic (941) 761-3919

Link to Fox 13 showing interview with Heath

Here's the link to Fox 13 interview with Heath and Karis that aired at 11PM on 8-6-08, http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/ContentDetail?contentId=7154603

I'm not sure how long this link will work so watch it now while you can. We want to thank Lloyd Sowers and Fox 13 of Tampa Bay for doing a great job.

Watch Fox News 13 at 11PM tonight

Fox News will be airing a segment about Heath tonight at 11PM. Lloyd Sowers, co-anchor for the FOX 13 News, was at our house last week and interviewed Heath and Karis about his fight with cancer and how Slash has reached out to him.

I will update the blog with a link if they put it on their website.

Good scan results on June 25

Heath had scans done at Moffitt on June 25. They told us that his tumor could double in size within a 90 day period because it is such an aggressive type of cancer. He has been having a lot of pain in that area but Dr. Dasilva told him that the treatments should be killing the tumor which would cause the pain. The scan results basically showed that the tumor has not grown. It's even possible that it had grown some from the time of his previous scan and to when he started the alternative treatments then shrunk a little bit. Also, he is not showing any other symptoms of the cancer. All of his other organs and lymph nodes appear basically normal.

This was very good news and is a good indication that the treatments that Dr. Dasilva is giving Heath as well as all the vitamins, supplements, juicing (or pond water as Heath calls it) and organic diet that Karis is giving Heath are working to build up his immune system so his body can fight the cancer the way it was met to.

Karis will be scheduling him to have scans in about two weeks. We thank everyone for all the prayers and good thoughts. Please continue to pray for further healing.