Please help support Officer Sean Lucas and his family through this difficult time! We are beyond grateful for absolutely any support we recieve. Please, Stand with Sean, in any way you are able. Visit his gofundme page for donations or his facebook group for details.
It's been said that our greatest currency in life is the people we choose to surround ourselves with and if you've been lucky enough to know Sean Lucas and his beautiful family over the years, then you certainly know your life is all the richer for it.
A friend to any and everyone who crosses his path (the Lucas garage has always stayed open regardless of the home address). A respected Chicago Police Officer. A Sox and Bears fan through the good times and bad and an avid movie lover; he never turns down the chance to catch a game or watch a flick. And best of all, a loving husband to Vivian and father of three to Everett (7), Noelle (4), and Sawyer (2).
Though his closest friends have always done most of the fighting over the years, Sean is now taking on the toughest fight any of us have faced. Diagnosed with Stage 4 High-Grade Signet Ring Cell Adenocarcinoma of the Appendix, Sean has been and will continue to undergo numerous treatments to defend against this rare form of cancer. In the several months since his diagnosis (Oct '22), there have been highs and lows, yet nothing has changed his sense of optimism and determination to beat this disease.
As he approaches a critical inflection point in this journey, Sean and his family have decided that it's time to share this news with the greater community of friends and acquaintances who care about Sean. This group will be a destination for updates and news about Sean's progress, as well as a forum for this community to share words of encouragement with him and his family. Though, at some point, we all know it will likely evolve to people popping in to reminisce about the glory days of IC vs Julianas grade school football.
With that said, a benefit event is currently being organized with a confirmed date of June 16th at The Fairway, which is the banquet hall at Howard Street. More details to come as we approach the date.
Lastly this group page includes a link to a GoFundMe set up to benefit Sean and his family in an effort to absorb costs related to his treatments as he travels to and from the East Coast to work with a renowned doctor who specializes in this type of cancer. It will also help the family as Sean will take time away from CPD to focus on his health. If you are so inclined, please consider donating.
Sean has a tremendous amount of love and support from his family and friends. He is setting the bar incredibly high for how to handle adversity with confidence, strength and the quick witted, sarcastic sense of humor he has always had.
Today, we gather to send our warmest wishes to a remarkable individual we proudly stand with - Sean Lucas! On this special occasion of Sean's 38th birthday, let's join hands in celebrating not just another year of his life, but also his incredible strength and resilience.
We'd also like to take a moment to share an update on Sean's health journey, one that's been marked by unwavering positivity and remarkable progress. Throughout this period, we've refrained from overwhelming you with frequent updates, simply because the news has consistently been on the brighter side.
Sean's path has been a testament to his determination. Following his successful completion of 12 rounds of chemotherapy, he underwent a significant HIPEC surgery, a milestone in his recovery. Post-surgery, the medical reports have been nothing short of spectacular, with scans and bloodwork looking phenomenal. Sean's doctor is greatly encouraged by the progress and the overall positive direction.
Currently, Sean is courageously navigating his way through his second cycle of chemotherapy. He's right in the middle of this cycle, with 3 rounds under his belt. While chemo presents hurdles, Sean's spirit remains unbreakable. Having conquered a total of 15 rounds so far, he eagerly anticipates the completion of the final 3 rounds in this cycle.
Looking ahead, the medical team will continue their quarterly monitoring of Sean's bloodwork and scans. And as we peer into the future, a glimmer of anticipation shines. Sean is eagerly counting down the days until he receives the green light to rejoin the workforce, aiming for a return to the Chicago Police Department later this year.
In celebrating Sean's birthday today, we also celebrate his strength, his perseverance, and his boundless optimism. Let's continue to stand with Sean, not only today but every day, as he triumphs over adversity.
Happy Birthday once again, Sean!
-Friends of Sean
Hi Everyone,
Change of plans for today. Unfortunately, we will NOT be able to make Mystic Rogue today. Several of us are out in Connecticut with Sean until early this week. We are planning to head to Mystic Rogue this Thursday (6/8) from 6-9 PM to sell tickets. Please spread the word on this change.
In addition, Viv and Sean had asked to share an update directly from them along with a pre and post surgery photo op!!
"First off, I wanted to start by thanking every single person who has shown us support over the past few months. The amount of love and prayers we have received has not gone unnoticed. It has made a difficult situation much more manageable. The donations we have received have helped us travel as a family to be with Sean while he is recovering. We are able to stay in a beautiful house near the hospital that can accommodate not only us, but friends and family as well. The surgery went well and he is recovering like "a rockstar" as the surgeon said. He has a long road ahead of him but we are very pleased with the results of the surgery. Please keep sending all the prayers, love and good vibes."
-Sean and Vivian
-Friends of Sean
Hi Everyone,
This coming Sunday, May 21st, the Standing with Sean team will be setting up shop in the backroom at Mystic Rogue in Norwood Park from 3:30pm-7pm to begin selling tickets to the upcoming benefit ($50 per ticket) that is being held at The Fairway in Niles (TAM Golf Course) on June 16th. We are anticipating people shuffling in and out, hanging for a beer, and grabbing a bite to eat.
Mystic Rogue: 6070 N Northwest Highway
**CASH ONLY PLEASE**
In addition , we are hoping that we can use these upcoming Sunday's at the Mystic Rogue to collect outstanding donations that we have yet to collect, volunteer sign-up, as well as begin to sell our latest raffle item that is being sold for only $20 a ticket
2 Night Stay in a luxurious condo in the heart of Nashville with a $100 gift card to Hopsmith Nashville (see flyer below)
HEALTH UPDATE:
In less than a week (May 25th), Sean will be heading back to the East Coast. The exact plan won't be known until they complete the exploratory. However Sean and his doctor are anticipating that they will undergo the removal of his appendix and parts of several other organs. They will also complete the CRS and HIPEC procedure (see link below). This is the natural progression to fighting this disease and is the result of his response to chemo. Sean is both anxious and excited, and I ask that everyone keep him in your thoughts and prayers as this is a very invasive surgery.
https://www.kucancercenter.org/.../11/crs-hipec-treatment
-Friends of Sean
Apologies for the infrequent posts here given Sean has been on the daily grind of cancer treatment so there wasn’t much to share on a weekly basis. With that said, we have some recent positive news to share! Sean just finished up his 12th round of chemo treatment a little over a week ago. The 12th round is a BIG milestone for Sean, and he will now take a break from chemo. He and Viv will head out to the East Coast for his second exploratory surgery. After his last chemo session, Sean had a PET and CT scan completed, and the results were extremely positive as it confirmed once more that chemo is working! The results from the scans have put Sean in a great state of mind, and he is ready to take on whatever lies ahead. We do ask that you all continue to keep Sean in your thoughts and pray for good news from this upcoming surgery, as this will give him a much clearer picture of what the next 6+ months will look like. As you can imagine, this has been a rollercoaster, to say the least, and more positive results from the exploratory surgery will hopefully allow Sean to get back to work and return to a level of normalcy for him and his family. The exploratory is scheduled for early May.
Again, we cannot express how thankful we are for each of you. We have raised over $100K on the GoFundMe in less than two months, and we have received incredible donations for the upcoming benefit on June 16th. We ask to continue sharing the flyer to prompt more donations so we can make this event a HUGE success. We have fantastic raffle prizes from all our gracious Sponsors and are continuing to receive more and more donations for the raffles. Our marquee raffle item, the Colorado trip, has been selling fast! If you are interested in this 7-night stay in the luxurious mansion located on the hill of a mountain in Winter Park, Colorado, please complete the Google Form and we will be in touch shortly after to provide you with your raffle tickets.
Lastly, we are expecting an enormous turnout for the benefit on June 16 th at The Fairway located in Niles (TAM Golf Course banquet hall). The event will include a live DJ [DJ Phil for those who have frequented the local watering holes of EP], a three hour “All-You-Can-Drink” special, buffet style dinner, and chances to win incredible raffle prizes!
Event tickets will be on sale for $50 per person. The Standing with Sean committee will be hosting several upcoming “Sunday Fundays” at Mystic Rogue between 3-6pm starting May 21st for both volunteer sign up and purchase of tickets to the event. We highly recommend buying your ticket to the event in advance.
Thanks again to everyone and we hope to share another positive update in a month.
-Friends of Sean
It has been over a week since we launched this page and wanted to provide you an update, so here it is:
First and foremost, we have to start by saying THANK YOU!!
In just over a week, we are closing in on the $100K GoFundMe goal. It is amazing to see the neighborhood and his extended CPD family rally around Sean in his time of need. The Lucas family are overwhelmed by the support from everyone and are so deeply grateful. Again, we can't thank you all enough for your generous donations.
Health Update:
Sean just finished his 9th round of chemo treatment and will continue to stay the course until he completes 12 total rounds. In early to mid April, Sean will then have an exploratory surgery to assess how chemo has been working while also gaining a better understanding of his options moving forward. In the last exploratory surgery, while they confirmed cancer was evident, the surgeon performed a biopsy in a specific area and the results came back benign. We are hoping and praying that we continue to hear positive news like the biopsy results. HIPEC surgery will most likely be the next step in the process, where they will remove his appendix and perform the "hot chemo bath" in an attempt to directly attack the cancer cells throughout his abdomen. (https://hipectreatment.com/the-hipec-procedure/)
As we all unfortunately know, with cancer, there are a lot of unknowns. At this point, there is not much else to share. However, the one thing we do know is that Sean is responding awesome to the chemo treatments and is feeling great!
For those that haven't seen Sean lately, it's inspiring how great he feels and looks. He's been crushing chemo and is in better shape now than he was back when he was pancaking Tim Bob on the football field in fall of '03! If you catch Sean walking around the Norwood circle in his "fashion-forward" cardigan on his daily two mile walks, be sure to give him an old fashioned CAT CALL supplemented with a honk of the horn. He would just love that!
Speaking for Sean's group of friends, we can't express how grateful we are for the level of support shown thus far. We are really looking forward to seeing you all at the benefit on June 16th. Planning is underway and we are expecting a great turnout at The Fairway banquet hall in Niles (next to Tam O'Shanter golf course). We are still collecting donations for raffle prizes and silent auction items. Some AWESOME organization, business owners and friends have already donated so thanks to those who wasted no time stepping up with a donation! Be sure to send us your company logo so we can give you all the proper shout-out you deserve.
For any questions around the upcoming June 16th benefit, please reach out to standingwithsean@gmail.com. Thank you all again for the kind words and support and most importantly Standing With Sean!
-Friends of Sean
