Community comes together to help local man fight tumors

Source: The Daily News, Jacksonville, N.迷你倉新蒲崗C.Sept. 09--The repetitive ebb and flow of the sea is one of the simple pleasures of Delmar Cradic's life."It doesn't matter what kind of day I had, I can unwind, and listen to the sand beat the surf," said Cradic, who lives in Hubert.Cradic goes to the shore as often as he can. He has seen his share of bad days.Cradic was born with neurofibromatosis, a condition that caused tumors to grow across the right side of his face, completely covering his right eye and partially blocking the nasal passage in his right nostril. Neck movement to the right is extremely difficult.Growing up with the disease has not only caused Cradic physical pain, but psychological pain as well: Cradic was held back three years in school as a young boy. According to Cradic, coping with the disease was difficult and comments from classmates were met with retribution."It wouldn't take more than a word before I bopped him," said Cradic.As Cradic grew up, he was able to physically and mentally adapt to the symptoms of his fibrosis. Despite the tumors that cover his right eye completely, Cradic was able to develop depth perception, which is the ability to judge distance by eyesight a fact he says shocked eye doctors, since two eyes are usually needed for the skill.Currently, Cradic works as an assembler at the Walmart on Marine Boulevard, putting furniture and bicycles together. That's where, in July, Bradic met the woman who would help change his life."I had been asking God to bring me someone to help," said the woman who wishes to remain anonymous due to her faith. "I saw him and I walked off. God said to me 'What if that were you ... what if people stared at you or looked away when they saw you?'"She said that after talking with friends and praying, she decided to seek Cradic out again. The two talked and quickly became friends.What followed was a month that Cradic called a "whirlwind." Cradic's new friend went to the web and shared his photo and story of living with neurofibromatosis. According to her, the reception she received was immediate and overwhelming as she found doctors who were willing to see Cradic on the quick and friends and well-wishers willing to give their thoughts, prayers and money to help Cradic get medical treatment for the tumors."I first mentioned it on Facebook at about 5 p.m.," she said. "The next morning, I had over 90 e-mails in my inbox. It took me hours to respond to all of them. After I responded to one, three more would come in."One of the people who saw her message was Billy Spencer, pastor at Healing Water United Methodist Church in Hubert. According to Spencer, she was looking for a 501(c)(3) to handle donations for Cradic."I thought it would be a good opportunity for our church to get involved in a local mission," Spe迷你倉出租cer said. "(Cradic) is a down to earth, wholesome guy. It's incredible the kind of outlook he has on his life ... He's a humble man. I was talking to some of the people that work at Walmart and they said if there's anyone that deserves all this, it's (Cradic)."Per the suggestion of a friend, the woman who started the campaign to help Cradic sent photos of him to doctors and found one at Duke, Liana Puscas, who said she could see Cradic on Aug. 12, a week after receiving the photos. Ten days later, Cradic was in Durham for surgery to remove part of his tumor. A process that usually takes months occurred in the span of about six weeks."It was a miracle," she said. "You could never get in that quickly."Cradic echoed her sentiments, saying the experience has made him unsure what to think or feel."I've been walking in a haze," Cradic said. "I don't know if I need to breathe or sleep or what. It's all so overwhelming ... I'm not one to ask for help, but I'm glad it was offered."Cradic's first operation was a success, removing part of the bottom of the tumor closest to his mouth. Cradic says the surgery has made moving his head a much easier task and has paved the way to removing the tumor altogether. One of the first people to see him post operation was one of Delmar's six siblings, his sister Nancy Charles, who said she was in awe of the financial and moral support Delmar has received over the past few weeks."I stared at him because I haven't seen that much of his jaw before," Charles said. "Words cannot express my gratitude. We never thought we'd get this much support."The ultimate goal for Cradic and his well-wishers is complete removal of the tumor that has been on his face throughout his life. The procedure will likely be very expensive, though Cradic won't know exactly how much it will cost until his next check up on Sept. 16.According to Puscas, the cost of the procedure will be in the six-digit range and though Cradic does have health insurance through his employer, the cost for the full procedure is expected to be high.Those interested in donating money to help Cradic can send donations to Sound Bank, P.O. Box 664, Swansboro, NC 28584. The account name is under Healing Waters UMC's name under the number 1312 or write down "for deposit."Cradic says this experience has already inspired him -- and he hopes it inspires others."I just hope I have the opportunity to pay it forward," said Cradic. "I hope this teaches people not to give up on their dreams."Christopher Thomas is a staff writer for the Jacksonville Daily News. To contact him, call 910-219-8473 or e-mail him at christopher.thomas@jdnews.com.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Daily News (Jacksonville, N.C.) Visit The Daily News (Jacksonville, N.C.) at .jdnews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉