Pancake benefit breakfast for Bill Wojciechowski set for February 16
A Pancake Breakfast benefit for Bill Wojciechowski will be hosted by the Greenbush-Badger Lions on Sunday, February 16, at the Badger Community Center. Bill is pictured with his wife, Barb, and the family pet, Brownie. (photo by Mavis Gonshorowski)
On Sunday, February 16, the Greenbush-Badger Lions club will be hosting a Pancake Benefit Breakfast for Bill Wojciechowski who is undergoing treatments for pancreatic cancer. The event will be held at the Badger Community Center from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
For seventy-four year old Bill, a rural Badger resident, it all began on August 12, 1919.
“I was itching all over my body,” he said. “I couldn’t take it any longer so I went to the Emergency Room in Roseau (LifeCare Medical Center). My skin looked like it was a light yellow.”
“Roseau sent Bill by ambulance to Altru in Grand Forks,” Bill’s wife, Barb said. “By the time he got there his skin was fluorescent yellow.
“They performed a biopsy on the tumor that was found. After four days in the hospital, Bill’s numbers were down and he was able to be discharged. Shortly after, a call came from Grand Forks informing us that the biopsy was inconclusive. He would need a biopsy done which was performed that Tuesday.
Following the biopsy procedure, it was to return home until they heard something from Mayo.”
“Mayo contacted us in September saying that the biopsy (results) had come back … Bill was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas,” Barb continued. “We were at Mayo from September 23-26; numerous testings were done. The oncologist set up a chemo regiment for Bill. His first chemo treatment had to be done in Grand Forks. After that the treatments could be done in Roseau.
Barb Wojciechowski shared how thankful she and Bill are to their family members.
“Our daughter, Jodi, and her fiancé, Kyle, have always been there in our time of need. They’ve been our ‘taxi’, driving us to Mayo and back each time, and being our support. And, our grandsons, Brandon (Jodi’s son) and Kasey (son of the late Kevin and Dyan) are so helpful … they are just wonderful! We also appreciate our daughter-in-law, Cecile, who is so caring and a great asset to our family.
Barb commented, “We’ve also received so much support from other family members and friends. Without them, sometimes I probably wouldn’t make it thru the day.”
To see the complete story, read the February 5 issue of The Tribune in print or online.
