Thursday, September 17, 2015

New Jersey Fighter Needs Our Help

NEW JERSEY


Friends fundraising to help wrestler Jared Platt cover costs of fighting Stage 4 cancer
BY GARY ABBOTT,
USA WRESTLING
SEPT. 17, 2015
Jared Platt, 26, a prep wrestling star at Blair Academy who also wrestled at Penn State, has been diagnosed with cancer. Platt has also been a Mixed Martial Arts athlete, and has been very active as a wrestling coach.
According to Platt’s Facebook page, he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer from a mass found in his back.
Platt posted this on his Facebook page today: “That is most of what the difficulties we go through in life are... Tough Tests. You never know how small or large the test will be... but it will be there. Be positive and know that the little tough tests, lead you to be strong enough for the bigger ones. Grow stronger, grow tougher, grow enlightened.”
Friends have created a GoFundMe website to assist Jared in covering the costs of his medical care. They have set a goal of raising $100,000, and in six days have secured 583 donors who have donated $60,020 to his cause.
A New Jersey native, Platt was active in USA Wrestling during his youth, high school and college career, with a number of major achievements.
Platt was a Junior Nationals freestyle champion in 2007 at 215 pounds. He placed second in the 2010 University Nationals and fourth in 2008 University Nationals. He also won gold medals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the 2007 Pan American Junior Championships.
Platt was a two-time Prep School National champion for Blair Academy in high school, winning at 215 pounds in 2006 and 2007 and competing for the legendary coach Jeff Buxton. In 2007, Platt was named to the ASICS High School All-American Team as its third team member at 215 pounds. He was honorable mention in 2006.
Platt has many friends across the nation through wrestling.
To contribute to his medical fund, visit:
https://www.gofundme.com/bc3y7qy3

FROM JARED PLATT GOFUNDME WEBSITE
Jared Platt is a fighter.
Jared was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at an extremely young age. He and his family have had to fight this affliction his entire life. From countless doctor visits to everyday needle-pricks and extensive monitoring. Recently, he began a website- fightingtype1.wordpress.com to raise awareness of this disease. This is a fight he has been battling his entire life, but this is not the opponent he is facing today.

In early September Jared was admitted to Morristown hospital for emergency surgery because of extreme back pain. He had suffered a traumatic injury to his lower back while wrestling in a college tournament five years ago. Over the years he had been struggling with crippling pain and temporary paralysis in his back and legs. It wasn't until early this month that the pain became so great he conceded to an ER visit. His wonderful wife and father scoured all of New Jersey for the right surgeon and within hours he was admitted to the OR. Jared underwent emergency surgery on his spine.

While in surgery a growth was spotted by the operating surgeon. After what appeared to be a remedying surgery, the meds wore off, and Jared was in pain again. This time the pain was not relegated to his lower back but even more extreme and spread throughout his body and vital organs. He was readmitted, this time to quell his pain and investigate the troubling growth. After multiple tests, scans, and biopsies it was determined that Jared has cancer, the nature of which is unknown.
Jared is an incredible person who has touched the lives of many people. We are starting this page so that vital funds can be donated. So that Jared can figure out the best way to fight and beat this. So he can get back to his wife Candace, his 2 little girls CaiLee and Cara-James, his family, and his friends.
If you know Jared personally, you know that words can’t do this outstanding man justice.
If you don’t know Jared and are visiting this page considering donating, please learn about this wonderful person. Please learn about this man who has fought so hard and helped so many. Please consider how a man like Jared Platt can affect your life, like he has so many. Please know that a contribution to Jared Platt’s Medical Fund will be in effort to help a father, a husband, a son, a brother, a friend, and a remarkable person get back on his feet.