Brian
Berheide

We are currently surprising our medical team each week with a new look. Brian is taking a new vitamin, “Vitamin H” — for hair. The cool thing is that the hair does not stay and can change from week to week. It gives all the employees a good chuckle and makes the chemo visits have some humor.

We would like to share some wonderful news and give God all the glory. Brian’s latest scan has shown that his tumor is beginning to shrink and his blood cancer markers are improving. Brian’s care team was pleasantly surprised with how much the tumor has shrunk and the improvement with his markers.

Even though this road is not finished, this is an answered prayer and a reminder to us that God is always at work, even when the journey is difficult. Since there still is the possibility of a surgery in the future, we are choosing to focus on the progress, not the obstacles. We believe that every step forward is a blessing, and we remain hopeful that this healing will continue.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for him, encouraged him, and stood by him and our family. Your love, faith, and support has carried us through some of the hardest days. Every prayer has strengthened his spirit and we truly believe they are making a difference.

Please continue to pray that the tumor keeps shrinking, his blood cancer markers continue to improve, and that God guides the doctors with wisdom to guide him on this journey. We trust that God’s plan is greater than our fears, and we know he walks beside all of us every step of the way.

No matter what lies ahead, we will continue to put our faith in God, the one who is our strength, our peace and his healer.

Thank you all for walking this journey with us, and all the continued prayers. We are filled with hope, gratitude, and faith that the best is yet to come.

Brian, Bev and family

To our family, friends, neighbors, the incredible brotherhood of our fire departments, and community members who have stood beside us: God continues to show us blessings through all of you.

There are no words that truly express how grateful we are for the love, generosity, and support you have shown us throughout this journey Brian is currently on.

Your compassion has lifted our spirits on the hardest days and has given us the strength when we both needed it most. Knowing that so many people have been thinking of him, praying for him, and supporting us as a family has meant more than we can put into words.

Thank you to the Kalida and Continental fire departments for your overwhelming generosity and hard work in organizing the benefit. Thank you to everyone for the prayers, cards, messages, and visits, and to those who donated, volunteered, attended the benefit, and showed countless quiet acts of kindness. You reminded us that we are never walking this journey alone. On the hardest days your prayers and love spoke louder than anything else. Each of you has made a difference in our lives and we will never forget your kindness.

People often say that small towns have big hearts, but it is impossible to truly understand what that means until you are the one in need. When Brian was diagnosed, this area wrapped its arms around our family. What we have experienced is not something we will ever forget or take for granted. It shows that the true heart of a community is not found in its size—it is found in the people who show up for one another without being asked. We are deeply blessed to be part of such a caring and compassionate community: that is something to be proud of about Kalida and Putnam County. Your support has been a reminder that even during life’s greatest challenges, there is so much goodness in the world.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping us keep hope alive as Brian continues this journey. We carry your kindness with us every day, and we are forever grateful.

Brian, Bev and the Berheide family

We wanted to share an update with everyone who has been thinking of Brian and asking how he is doing.

In April, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Since then, it has been a journey. We went to the James, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati for consultations. They all recommended trying to get into a phase III clinical trial before attempting any other treatment. This led us to the Taylor Cancer Research Center in Maumee (one of three places in the US for this trial).

He started his treatment on June 4th; each one consists of a 28-day cycle. Three weeks of treatment and one week off. He is currently on his second cycle. This will continue for a while. Right now, our focus is on his treatment, taking things one day at a time, and placing our trust in God.

As for his hair…chemo decided it had other plans! He has officially joined the “No Hair Club.” The bright side? He can get ready in record time, and he will never have another bad hair day!

Thank you to all who are praying for us, checking in on us, and encouraging us along the way. We truly appreciate all the prayers, kind words, and support from our family and friends. Your encouragement means more than we can express and helps carry us through the difficult days. We will continue to share updates as we can. Thank you for keeping Brian and our family in your thoughts and prayers.

We also want to share how incredibly humble and grateful we are for the love and support of our community. Our local fire department, along with other mutual aid fire departments are holding benefits to help support us as we continue this journey. We are truly overwhelmed by this act of kindness and generosity. The fire department brotherhood is one like no other. To everyone who has donated, volunteered, prayed, shared encouraging words, or plans to attend this and any fundraising that is happening for us—thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your support reminds us that we are not walking this road alone. We truly feel blessed to be part of such a caring community. God has surrounded us with amazing people, and we are deeply grateful.

While this has not been an easy road, we truly believe God has been guiding us every step of the way. Looking back, we can see his hand leading us through each decision and ultimately bringing us to this point. We trust that he has a purpose for us, even when we cannot see the whole path ahead.