Supporting Mike Seelye’s cancer battle

Where he should be playing alongside his teammates during Friday night football games, and interacting with his classmates during his senior year at Sonoma Valley High School, Mike Seelye is instead battling one of the biggest foes that face humanity – cancer. And he could use a lot of support for the biggest fight of his young life.

I talked to Mike before Friday night’s Dragons’ football game at Arnold Field. Earlier in the week, he had his first chemotherapy treatment, which he said is hard to explain how it was “overwhelming” and knocked him off his feet.

But, wearing a mask to fight off germs and not able to shake hands or make contact, he was standing tall and brave and it was inspiring.

I know all too well about cancer which has struck often in my big family and close friends, and what Mike is facing is one of the strains of cancer that inflicted two of my friends.

Actually, the best way to convey Mike’s story and what can be done to help is to print the words of a close friend of the Seelye family, Jim Reese, who posted this statement on the Internet.

“Mike Seelye should be starting his senior year at Sonoma Valley High School and playing on the SVHS football team as No. 66. He worked hard all summer long to play football, losing 80 pounds and training hard. But two weeks before the season started, Mikey was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkins lymphoma.

“This is the same cancer his mother, Kelly, was diagnosed with almost 10 years ago, and Mikey’s grandmother, Molly, was also diagnosed with at the same time. This family has been through so much, and they really need your help. Mikey is a bright young man who is full of life and hoping to either join the military or possibly attend the Academy of the Arts in San Francisco if he’s accepted after high school and needs help through this long road ahead of him.

“Mikey has had to take a leave of absence from school because he will be extremely sick from all of the treatments. Along with all the love and support Mikey has from his family and friends, and with the support from within the community of Sonoma, Mikey and his family could use some help. The football team has made him team captain and many of the varsity and jayvee players have shaved their heads in supporting him, as well as holding fundraisers. Even Sonoma’s female principal has shaved her head in support for this fine young man with such a bright future.

“Along with all the love and support Mikey has from his family and friends, and with the support from within the community of Sonoma, Mikey and his family could use some financial help. They will have hotel expenses, missed days from work and medical expenses. It would be nice for his mother, Kelly, to be at home with him on the days he is very sick from his treatments.

“Please keep Mikey close to your hearts and in your prayers. He is young, strong and a fighter and he will get through this with the love and support from all the wonderful people who surround him. Please help Mikey and his family get through this together.”

Anyone who would like to show their support for Mike and his family can make donations over the Internet at gofundme.com/ekauyg.

Donations have been coming in and the family made this recent statement.

“On behalf of our family, I would like to thank everyone for their donation to help Mikey fight the fight! The response has been overwhelming! The generosity from family, friends, and even from people we don’t know has been beyond generous. Keep Mikey and his family in your prayers and thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”

Over the years I’ve seen our Valley community rise to support one of their own in desperate times and I know Sonoma and the whole Valley of the Moon will step up and help Mike bounce back into his promising future.

Ciao!