veteran-battling-cancer-gets-live-out-special-day-with-family-after-social-post-goes-viral

Veteran Battling Cancer Gets to Live Out Special Day With His Family After Social Post Goes Viral

The daughter of a Vietnam veteran who is fighting for his life is doing all she can to make their time together special. According to Fox News, her efforts recently paid off and allowed her father to enjoy a very special day at the ballpark.

It started when Ashlee Mueller got an idea to take her father, Larry Thostenson, to a Minnesota Twins professional baseball game. Because Thostenson is battling stage four cancer, Mueller wanted to find him a seat in the stadium where he could be protected. So, she felt that a suite at the ballpark would be the solution.

Mueller posted her request on LinkedIn. She asked for help getting a suite during the team’s July 19 game.

“Hi community, this is a long shot and a big ask, but I am wondering if anyone has a connection to the MN Twins? I would really like to find a way to get my terminally ill veteran father and family to a game this season. The difficult part is a suite would be needed due to his care level,” the veteran’s daughter shared.

Unsurprisingly, the post got a lot of attention. It was seen more than 200,000 times. And, her post did the job. Mueller, Thostenson, and other family members, including the veteran’s 2-year-old grandson, received VIP tickets to sit in a suite.

Veteran Said Getting To Attend Minnesota Twins Game Was ‘Pretty Exciting’

Ashlee Mueller described getting to attend the game as “the perfect evening as a family.”

Getting to go to the game and sit in the suite was a fun experience, the veteran said.

“I said, ‘Cool, I’ve never been in a suite here,’ so it was pretty exciting,” Larry Thostenson shared.

The game on July 19 took place one day before the veteran began another round of chemotherapy. The treatment is part of his ongoing battle against cancer. Unfortunately, doctors have told Thostenson that the cancer is probably terminal. This is the third time he has battled cancer.

However, the veteran is keeping a positive attitude. He said he doesn’t let the diagnosis “bother” him. He also said he could still have “many months” left.

Mueller said she plans to make the most out of the time she has left with her father. They “just have to make every day as amazing as possible,” she also said.

Thostenson believes that his cancer is connected to the time he spent in Vietnam. He said he was exposed to a toxic chemical there.

“I was in the area where Agent Orange was dropped and nobody knew anything about it for years and years,” the veteran said.

Another member of veteran Larry Thostenson’s family has also experienced war and exposure to dangerous chemicals. That family member is his son-in-law, Ashlee’s husband Mike. He served in Afghanistan. Mike is asking veterans to take part in an environmental health registry. Doing so will help them keep track of their well-being if they encountered dangerous chemicals while serving their country.