Dan Merrill Benefit

This summer, Dan was busy playing music and renovating a house for he and his wife Belinda that her Dad used to own. He seemed to be tired a lot but when you work on a house until 10:30 each night, play a lot of gigs, and sneak some golf in, tired seems to go with the territory.

  However, when the former Toddy Brook Golf Course Club Champion has trouble finding fairways in nine holes and his game is completely erratic, something could be amiss.

Dan missed his regular Monday Night Scramble with his team a few weeks ago saying his neck and back were bothering him. His brother Linc called the next morning to see how he was doing. Dan confessed that his problem was not so much his back and neck but the other issues that had sent him to the doctor (a place he hates to go).

  He said his blood platelet count was so low it could not clot, he was exhausted, and he was bruising easily. The doctor had taken blood and Dan was awaiting the results. By the end of the day, and a consult with an oncologist, Dan was admitted to Maine Medical Center oncology unit with a diagnosis of leukemia.

  The specific form of leukemia is APML which has a high cure rate. The current treatment is an arsenic treatment along with oral chemo meds. They will keep him at Maine Medical for a month as they work to get this disease under control and cured. Once Dan leaves the hospital, he will do outpatient treatment locally for a number of months.

  It will be a long road to recovery involving perhaps a year of treatments/recovery. While there are many challenges that come with cancer treatments the one most immediate for us and the one that we hope the fundraiser will address are their financial challenges for the next year.

  Dan has been self employed as a musician for 42 years. It is a rewarding job with lots of great flexibility. It is also a job with no benefits. So, during his treatment and recovery, Dan will have no income. The bills will still need to be paid. The fundraising efforts are intended to take away some of his financial burden so he can focus on getting better.

  We hope all his friends and fans who have enjoyed his music, his entertainment, and his companionship for these last 42 years will give generously to relieve the pressure he is under today.

  Please be part of helping Dan Merrill during his time of need.