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A Red Demon needs your help!
Please donate to the Glenn Kennedy Medical Fund.
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Samuel Glenn Kennedy came to Methodist Youthville in Dodge City, KS as an eighth grader. In 1977, during the summer before his Sophomore year of high school, he became the foster son of DCHS biology teacher Ken Pitetti, his wife Carol and son James. James was just two years old when Glenn joined the family, but the relationship between them became so strong that James referred to Glenn as his brother.
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Glenn continued with high school, excelled in sports and soon became noted as having potential for his boxing prowess. After graduating from Dodge City High School in 1980 and attending one year at Hutchinson Junior College, local backers in Dodge City moved forward to have Glenn coached by persons in the boxing world in Los Angeles, CA to prepare him for boxing in the big leagues.
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In time, Glenn became the light-heavyweight champion of California and defended his title twice before being beaten. There were more matches, at the highest performance levels in the sport. After taking some tough losses, he decided to leave professional boxing, but not completely. Given his love of the sport and the realization of the positive role that it had played in his life, he volunteered his time coaching disadvantaged youth at a local boxing club in West Covina, CA. In the spirit of “paying it forward”, he wanted to be a positive influence for youngsters who were coming along the same path he had traveled; many with the same dreams Glenn had in his quest to become the next boxing power.
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Always the consummate athlete, Glenn stood out on the football field, the basketball court and the baseball field in addition to the boxing ring. It’s not surprising that once he moved near the ocean, he became interested in scuba diving, and eventually became a Master Scuba Diver.
In his more recent professional life, Glenn worked for a company that sets up hardware for telephones and computers in business environments. He was the floor supervisor, responsible for the oversight of work teams as they installed hardware for area businesses.
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Then, in 2007, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor---called a meningioma. A meningioma develops from the membrane that surrounds and protects the brain, called the meninges. Glenn’s meningioma was classified as a “benign” tumor, but don’t let that word fool you. This benign tumor grew slowly until it became so large (the size of a grapefruit) that it constricted and affected his brain, and became life-threatening. Some really, really good neurosurgeons at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center were able to remove 90% of the cancer in a 15-hour surgery. Following the surgery, Glenn endured six weeks of radiation therapy that “burned” the rest of the tumor into remission. Follow-up tests must be done every six months to determine if the tumor remains in remission.
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Glenn’s recovery was going very well, and he was beginning to return to his normal life, which included resuming some of his work-related responsibilities. However, one of the common “residual” symptoms following brain surgery is seizures. Approximately four months post-surgery, Glenn had his first Grand mal seizure. Following this event, Glen began taking a seizure medication (one type), and for awhile this seemed to control the large seizures. Although he was unable to return to work or drive a car due to constant small or petit-mal seizures, he was able to live independently at his apartment and continue going to the local boxing club to coach young boxers. As time went on, Glenn’s condition worsened, requiring him to take an additional type of medication, and then once again, for a total of three different types of medication to control or prevent petit-mal seizures from becoming Grand-mal seizures.
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This past Spring, Glenn had what can only be called a VICIOUS Grand-mal seizure. As a result, he was placed in an Intensive Care Unit, and for eleven hours he was unconscious and experiencing three or four Grand mals every hour. When he finally regained consciousness, he was, for the most part, paralyzed. Over the past eight weeks, with constant physical, speech, and occupational therapy, Glenn has improved his motor capacities and is able to ambulate with the use of a walker.
At the present time, Glenn is on 4 different medications (remember, he started with just one) to control his seizures, which adds up to 30 pills per day. The side effects of all this medication are too numerous to describe, so it is not surprising that his medical team at UCLA has decided that Glenn cannot continue to control his seizures through mega doses of medication for the rest of his life. Therefore, he is scheduled to be evaluated by a seizure specialist at UCLA in the near future to determine what additional options are available. It is imperative that his seizures be controlled, as another vicious Grand mal seizure would be physically devastating.
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Today, Glenn is in his own apartment and requires a 24-hour care provider to help with his daily needs. Hopefully, doctors will find a way to control his seizures, and through rehabilitation, he will eventually be able to live independently once again. The alternative for Glenn at this time is an assisted living facility.
The costs associated with Glenn’s condition are staggering. Insurance helps with medical expenses, but it doesn’t cover the costs associated with keeping Glenn in his own home for as long as possible. The Pitetti family has been contributing $3,000 per month to help pay for the home health aide and other associated expenditures that aren’t covered by insurance. Please make a donation to the “Glenn Kennedy Medical Fund” to help support him during this time of need.
Glenn Kennedy Medical Fund
c/o Heritage Bank, NA
4222 E. Camelback Road, Suite J-200
Phoenix, AZ 85018
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