A 48 year-old Gill native, Pillsbury was experiencing stomach pain while on vacation in April, and a trip to the doctor’s office led to a diagnosis of stage four, metastatic Cholangiocarcinoma – a rare form of cancer within the bile ducts connecting to the liver. As this cancer leaves no tracers in the blood like other cancers, discovery of the illness is often incidental, and too late.

“For me, being a math teacher and hearing that data,” Pillsbury said, “My goal was to be an outlier on that bell curve.” 

Despite the gravity of the situation and the limited options for treatment besides chemotherapy and immunotherapy, a GoFundMe donation campaign has not only provided financial stability, but also a connection to a clinical trial that can enhance chances of survival, giving the family hope that seemed out of reach only a few weeks ago.

Dave Pillsbury, his wife Kathleen Pillsbury, and their three daughters are living in a home on the NMH campus where the Pillsburys both teach. With a self-described passion for helping students enjoy math, his students and colleagues are now finding ways to help, including NMH interim associate dean of students LoubnaBoumghait, who set up the GoFundMe for the Pillsbury family that has raised $53,914 in donations since it was created on May 20.

As the family began notifying colleagues and loved ones of Pillsbury’s diagnosis at the start of May, support for the family was swift. Monetary donations through the GoFundMe, coordinated meal trains, and newfound support systems all appeared in droves. Pillsbury said he’s had people from the different phases of his life reach out to share their support however they can.

To the Pillsbury family, one of the most extraordinary parts of this GoFundMe came from one student who mentioned the campaign to their parent whose brother, Dr. Beau Bosko Toskich, is a Cholangiocarcinoma researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Kathleen explained how Toskich spoke to her and Dave about his colleagues in Boston running clinical trials on this form of cancer. Because of this personal connection through a student, Pillsbury is now beginning an experimental treatment at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Brookline.

“Even in this sort of incredibly difficult time where we are living a nightmare, it feels like we're getting touched with these little blessings along the way that are making it just a little bit easier to cope,” Kathleen said.

Pillsbury has received two rounds of chemo and immunotherapy for the cancer, and started the experimental treatment, called Yttrium-90 (Y-90) radioembolization, on Tuesday, June 17. Radioactive beads were injected into the three largest tumors on his liver, Kathleen said. The goal is to hopefully reduce the masses, and eventually shrink it to the point where he can become a candidate for surgery, and replace the liver tissue with healthy issue that can be grown from his existing cells. 

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“The timing of everything, it just has felt really fortuitous,” Kathleen said. 

Although the GoFundMe has raised over $20,000 more than the initial goal of $30,000, the Pillsburys say they plan to keep the donations on GoFundMe open to allow people to continue to donate and stay updated on Dave’s treatment. So far, the donations have allowed the family to make weekly trips to Boston for care, which includes spending money on hotels and other necessities. Dave Pillsbury says the financial support has helped him and his family throw everything at his treatment with less financial burden to bear. 

“If it takes three years with this treatment to beat it, that gives us hope that we can fight for that long. We don't have to make changes,” he said.

Now that treatment is underway, and the family is spending multiple days away from home at a time, Pillsbury said he’s prioritizing time with his family, keeping a positive mindset toward healing, and maintaining kindness toward everyone, especially since seeing how kindness has come back around to him.

“Be kind to everyone … you don't know if you're gonna need them on your team later,” he said. “That's important to me, and that seems to be coming back.”

To visit the GoFundMe, visit https://tinyurl.com/y6fu3pm6.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.