Spaghetti feed October 2 will benefit Michael Jeske

Imagine being told you have cancer. It’s the diagnosis nobody wants to hear. At the time, you don’t think it can get any worse. Well, it can. Two years later you could be told the cancer is back. That’s what has happened to Michael Jeske, a member of the Odessa High School Class of 2000.

Having graduated from the University of Idaho and received his teaching certificate, Michael landed his first teaching job on the “west side” in Rochester. He teaches agricultural mechanics and coaches track and field.

In March of 2009, Michael was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He underwent six rounds of chemotherapy at St. Peter’s hospital in Olympia, and his cancer was in remission. This past July, Michael was diagnosed with Gray Zone lymphoma, a type of cancer which has markers from both Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He underwent three rounds of chemo in Olympia prior to going to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

Michael and his mother, Cheryl Jeske, have been in Seattle since August 16, undergoing treatment for a stem-cell transplant. Michael’s stem cells have been collected, but he is currently undergoing more chemo, as his most recent PET/CT scan revealed more cancer activity in his body. On September 14, Michael was given a new type of chemo, SGN-35, which has just been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. He will have another cycle of chemo in three weeks. It is hoped that these treatments will put Michael’s cancer in remission so he can start the conditioning regime for his stem-cell transplant.

Michael and Cheryl are living in an apartment building called The Pete Gross House. They are able to walk to the cancer center or they can take a shuttle to and from the center and also to the grocery store. Both Michael and Cheryl have had to take a leave of absence from their jobs in order to live in Seattle and seek treatment to battle Michael’s lymphoma.

Michael has a wonderfully supportive family. In addition to his mother Cheryl, his dad Neil is staying in Odessa and working on the family farm. His older sister Lanae and her husband Chuck live and work in Odessa as well. His younger sister Kimberly is a counselor for the Soap Lake School District, and her husband Devin works for the Odessa Trading Company.

Friends of the family are sponsoring a spaghetti-feed dinner for Michael on Sunday, October 2, from noon to 3 p.m. in the Odessa school cafeteria. All proceeds will go to Michael to help defray the cost of his stem-cell transplant and living expenses in Seattle.

Anyone not able to attend the benefit dinner, may drop a donation off with me in the superintendent’s office at the school or mail it to Key Bank, P.O. Box 1088, Wilbur, WA 99185. The check should be made out to the “Michael Jeske Donation Account.”