A fundraising dinner and silent auction to help defray medical expenses for Harney County residents Robert Beers and Tiffany Yarbor will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 21, in the Memorial Building at the Harney County Fairgrounds.

The Burns Lions Club will be preparing prime rib and baked potatoes, the American Legion Auxiliary is helping out by making salads, and there will be rolls and a dessert auction.

Tickets are $15 each or two for $25, and for kids age 9 and under, two tickets for $15. Tickets are available at the Harney County Senior and Community Services Center, Shepherd Graphics, and Gourmet & Gadgets.

Yarbor’s story

In July 2013, Yarbor was diagnosed with an oligodendroglioma grade II brain tumor. That same month, the tumor was resectioned at 95 percent at the Huntsman Cancer center in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was awake for a craniotomy to map out the motor areas of the brain. Doctors say that most patients don’t remember anything, but Yarbor does and now battles post traumatic stress syndrome. She was also left with paralysis on her left side, but quickly regained her mobility by working closely with physical therapists. She was out of the hospital eight days later, but still had a long road to recovery.

The remaining tumor couldn’t be reached as it would take away her mobility. The plan at that time was to use radiation to destroy the remaining mass, but Yarbor was just barely 21 years old, and the team didn’t want to take away the option of her not being able to have children. So the plan was to monitor the remaining tumor with MRIs twice a year, while trying to figure out what her new normal life was going to be.

Yarbor now has a 3-year-old daughter, and she is attending Treasure Valley Community College while keeping healthy and building up her strength for the next battle.

Yarbor’s remaining tumor has started to grow, and now the options for treatment are radiotherapy to kill any fragments and chemotherapy to kill any hidden cancer cells.

The treatments are under way at the Providence Cancer Center in Portland, and will last for six weeks, five days a week. Yarbor’s mother, Peggy, has taken a leave of absence from her job and will be in Portland to care for her daughter and granddaughter.

Oligodendrogliomas have a high rate of recurrence, and although having a brain tumor seems grim, Yarbor’s overall health is great, and beginning treatment early increases a higher chance of survival.

Beers’ story

On April 3 of this year, Beers was helping a friend salvage tin from an abandoned house when he fell. He landed on his left leg and ankle, resulting in more than 15 breaks in his leg and ankle combined.

Beers was transported to Harney District Hospital, and then on to St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise, Idaho.

The next day, Beers underwent the first of six surgeries. He had two more surgeries within the next five days, and returned home for bed rest.

On April 16, Beers returned to Boise and was told that some bones would have to be removed as they couldn’t be screwed back together. The doctors decided to postpone the surgery however, because the skin where the bones had broken through had to heal completely.

On April 25, two plates and about 30 screws were used to put Beers’ leg partially back together during a seven-hour surgery. Beers remained in the hospital until April 30.

Beers then went to Harney District Hospital on May 3 for a possible blood clot.

During a follow-up visit to Boise on May 14, doctors noticed a spot inside the ankle that wasn’t healing like they wanted and cautioned Beers to keep an eye on it.

While taking a shower on May 20, Beers found what to be screw or plate showing in the area that wasn’t healing correctly. The surgeon told Beers to get back to Boise as soon as he could, and he had a fifth surgery the next day.

Beers then had major plastic surgery on May 30, spent 17 days in the hospital, and returned to his home in Hines on June 6.

On June 22, Beers had a follow-up with the plastic surgeon and he was released to perform little bits of movement. Many follow-ups are still to come, as are physical therapy sessions.

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The fundraiser on July 21 will be fun for the entire family as there will be carnival games and live music by Generations, a local band.

The silent auction already has a number of donated items, including passes to the Boise Zoo, Roaring Spring Water Park, Wildlife Safari, Silverwood Theme Park, and Wahooz Fun Zone; one cord of wood; gift certificates; wall hangings, gift baskets and more.

Volunteers are also needed to help set up and take down at the Memorial Building. If you would like to help, call 541-573-7100.