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Couple battling cancer, trying to save eggs for future family

Posted at 3:57 PM, Apr 25, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-25 19:27:01-04

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kali McCaleb knew something was wrong when she felt a bump in her tongue last summer. She and her husband Matt said they thought it was a canker sore. It was mildly painful and the size of penny. But over the past year, the pain skyrocketed and a doctor later told them it was tumor.

“He looked at it [and] was really weirded out by it,” said Matt sitting next to his newlywed wife who currently cannot speak at all. “He was like ‘Its possible that it’s cancer but you don’t fit the demographic at all.' Someone who’s never smoked before, never chewed tobacco before and is 24 years old.”

In late March, Kali was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma and didn’t fit the profile of the middle-aged men who typically battle the disease. The cancer is rare and usually found in chain smokers or people who have chewed tobacco for years, Matt said. Nonetheless, the news was devastating.

“Originally it was pretty frustrating, just thinking about why in the world did this happen to Kali because she doesn’t fit the demographic at all,” said Matt. “But mostly through the process we realize that it’s just a waste of time to get mad or get frustrated.”

Matt said Kali underwent surgery on April 6 at the University of Michigan. Doctors removed all of her tongue and used skin from her abdomen to create her a new one. Doctors informed them she had to undergo chemotherapy and radiation in a few weeks. They were devastated even more.

“Right when we heard that they wanted to do radiation [and] chemo, instantly I thought like it’s over,” said Matt about the 7-week treatment. “I think we both kind of thought it was kind of out of the realm of possibility.”

Chemotherapy and radiation reduces their chances of ever having children they said. However the surgeon mentioned that Kali could freeze her eggs and immediately they were relieved.

“I’m nervous but overall I'm ready,” Kali wrote on a dry-erase board about treatment. “I think it’s going to be difficult but in the end it’ll be very worth it.”

Matt said they always dreamed of having 2-3 kids but it can cost upwards of $15,000 to freeze Kali’s eggs. So a close relative created a GoFundMe page  to help them raise money to cover the expenses. In just two days, friends, family and strangers have raised almost $14,000. Matt told Fox 17 all excess money will go toward Kali's medical expenses.

“We obviously didn’t know where the money was going to come from,” said Matt. “We were just going to take the hit if we need to. I can’t even put into words how awesome it is that so many people have backed us and want to help.”