ObituarySamuel Giles Weis (Jan. 1986 - May 2017)
Samuel Giles Weis loved wooden boats, slow breakfasts, a celebratory beer after catching his first fish of the season, riding his bike up hills (yes, up the hills), gliding on snow through the woods and telling stories in an overly detailed fashion. Sam died on May 9, 2017, in his home in Anchorage, Alaska, of leukemia. Sam fought cancer courageously and with immense determination for four of his 31 years. Though he would have been entitled to, he never complained. While his struggle and insights because of his disease shaped him and many around him, he was much more than a cancer fighter. Sam was an individual dearly loved by his family and friends, as well as an inspiration to countless more as he openly shared his experiences with cancer and leading a "carpe the effin' diem" lifestyle. He was a fisherman, conservationist, adventurer and lover of the underdog. Sam spent his career fighting to protect rivers in his home state of Wisconsin, and later in Alaska. Sam was influential in halting the Gogebic Taconite mining proposal in northern Wisconsin, as well as the proposed Chuitna Coal Strip Mine in southcentral Alaska, both of which would have harmed pristine waterways, local indigenous culture and treasured wilderness. Sam showed us how to lead a full and meaningful life: ceaselessly prioritizing what is important and not sweating the small stuff. Sam is survived by his wife, Jenny; parents, Debi and Jim; sisters, Kate and Sarah; grandparents, Duane and Carolyn Giles, and Jim Weis; dog, Birkebeiner; and many others. In lieu of flowers, please consider charities listed on this page: www.bit.ly/sgw-celebration. A celebration of life will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Majestic Theater in Madison, Wis., on May 22, 2017, and on Facebook Live at that time. Sam requested no one wear black. |
Click for a story on Sam from the Alaska Dispatch News
Cancer, chapter 1:If you want to read about Sam's experience with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (a.k.a. "chapter one"), check out Blog Strong. (He wrote a lot of really good poetry then!)
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FAQ
What can I do to help?
- Give blood! Sam will be getting tons of blood transfusions (and already has). So giving blood is an awesome way to help. If you do and your the social-type, consider posting a picture and tagging sam on Facebook. That will bring a smile!
- Make a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or Carbone Cancer Center.
- The list of Sam's chosen charities for gifts in his memory are here.
What's the treatment plan? As of March 2017, Sam's leukemia has come back once again. They will not initiate the transplant process and it will not be cured. Instead, the team will administer a drug to slow the leukemia from advancing too rapidly, buying Sam more time. Some patients do well with this drug and can live for many months, and others do not and have a much shorter prognosis. Risks are infection or bleeding, due to low blood-clotting cells (platelets), either of which could prove fatal.
So what [was the 2016] plan to make Sam better? Sam had a round of intense chemotherapy in November 2016 to get him into remission - success! The next step was a double cord blood transplant at the University of Washington hospital, using new research out of Seattle's Fred Huch Cancer Research Center. However, Sam's leukemia relapsed before the transplant process started, and they were unable to get him into remission and onto transplant after that.
If he's [was] in remission... doesn't that mean he's better? Unfortunately, Sam has a really aggressive form of leukemia that they know will eventually come back. While in remission post-chemo, they have [had] a short window to move him toward transplanting stem cells a.k.a. a whole new immune system, and the hope is the newer cells are stronger and able to fight off the leukemia in a way that his old cells were not.
If he's [was] in remission... doesn't that mean he's better? Unfortunately, Sam has a really aggressive form of leukemia that they know will eventually come back. While in remission post-chemo, they have [had] a short window to move him toward transplanting stem cells a.k.a. a whole new immune system, and the hope is the newer cells are stronger and able to fight off the leukemia in a way that his old cells were not.
So what was the [2015] plan to make Sam better? read this post.
What kind of cancer does he have? Sam has a blood cancer called Acute Myeloid Leukemia or AML, which he got as a result of the treatment for the Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia or ALL he was treated for in 2008-2010. Yes, that's THE WORST.
What kind of cancer does he have? Sam has a blood cancer called Acute Myeloid Leukemia or AML, which he got as a result of the treatment for the Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia or ALL he was treated for in 2008-2010. Yes, that's THE WORST.