His body is struggling, but Luther Wright’s spirit and sense of humor remain strong.
Wright, the pastor of King of Kings Lutheran Church in Lake Orion, has been battling Cholangiocarcinoma, a rare form of liver cancer, since being diagnosed in July 2002. He had been on a transplant waiting list for a new liver, but the tumor has now spread, ruling out the transplant as an option.
Members of King of Kings are organizing a benefit dinner and silent auction to help the Wright Family pay for medical bills and other expenses related to airfare back and forth from the Mayo Clinic, where Wright was receiving treatment, as well as food and future tests and possible treatments.
“You feel so totally helpless in a situation like this,” said King of Kings member, benefit organizer and long-time Wright Family friend Kim Gibson. “(The benefit) is something you can do.”
The event will be held on Oct. 18 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 4-7 p.m., with a buffet dinner catered by Clubhouse Catering, cooking at Castello di Bologna in Canterbury Village. Gibson said the food is being provided for the benefit at cost.
“It’s basically a donation,” she said. “We’ve received an enormous amount of donations, the community has been wonderful.”
There will also be a silent auction, with a variety of offers like Pistons tickets, U-M tickets, hot air balloon rides, sports memorabilia and weekend getaways up for grabs.
Organizers are still looking for sponsors ($100) and benefactors ($250) for the event. Single tickets are $10, and family tickets are $30. The event is sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans North Oakland Branch #30010.
St. Joe’s has donated its hall, and other churches have also stepped up to the plate to help out during the Wright Family’s difficult time.
“(St. Joe’s) has been wonderful,” said event organizer and King of Kings member Deb Simms.
The Gift of Life will also have representatives at the benefit to provide information about organ donation.
“He should have received a liver immediately, but because people aren’t donating…” said Gibson. “It’s too late now for a transplant.”
Wright came to Lake Orion with his wife Sarah, daughter Amy (now a freshman at Oakland Community College) and son Ben (a junior at Lake Orion High School) in 1997 after spending 11 years pastoring at Truth Lutheran, an inner-city church in Detroit. He was just celebrating his fifth year at King of Kings when he was diagnosed with his cancer.
“Your liver has two sides, and each side has a duct that drains bile. They come together to form one duct that leads into the digestive tract…the tumor I have is located around that intersection,” he explained. “It’s a rare form of cancer. They figure I had it for two years before it was diagnosed.”
Wright’s cancer is inoperable and incurable, but he has benefited from “cutting edge” treatment at the Mayo Clinic.
“They are trying to provide a cure for it by removing and transplanting everything,” he said. “It’s a nine-year program and so far 20 people have had transplants.”
Wright had hoped to receive one from his brother.
“We were scheduled for surgery at the beginning of September,” he said. “I couldn’t move up (the transplant) list, because there’s a point system based on how healthy your liver is, that moves you up the list.
“There’s about 18,000 people in the country waiting for a liver, so to speak,” Wright said. “We were going to try an experimental living donor transplant, but they found my cancer had spread, which ruled out the transplant.”
Wright said the support he and his family have received from King of Kings has been nothing short of amazing.
“They have always been off the chart, beyond maximum, in every single thing,” he said. “Always with the hope I make it to transplant and are able to return to pastoral duties in some capacity.
“We’re disappointed, certainly, but there have been lots of miracles along the way that have been just as brilliant,” said Wright.
“You will see Luther, he’s out in the community all the time, he helps coach football and baseball…he’s at soccer games, helping to support the students and church members,” said Simms.
“He cares about everyone so much,” Gibson added. “He emails everyone updates. He’s more caring about the other person, and we all feel so blessed to call him our pastor.”
Gibson said Wright’s signature sign off for his emails is always “Trust in only Jesus always.”
“Amy (Wright’s daughter) had rings made with that inscribed on them, and all four of them wear them,” she said.
“I’ve always had a lot of fun,” said Wright. “This is a great community.”
“It’s kind of overwhelming,” said Wright’s wife Sarah. “There isn’t one single thing (about the benefit) they haven’t thought of.”
Wright knows there are families in the community who are also dealing with problems similar or worse than his own.
“People always ask if we wrestle with the ‘Why’ question,” he said. “‘Why me? Why did I get cancer?’ The flipside of that is, ‘Why would people have a benefit to help us?’ It’s humbling.”
Wright is planning on attending the benefit, if his health allows.
“There are a number of things at a critical stage right now. We’re having to live each day with a focus on this day,” he said. “I was in the hospital 10 days ago…today I’m doing pretty well. So we’ll see.”
Wright hopes to be there so he can give his “thank yous” in person.
“We don’t know fully what they’ve prepared,” he said. “I certainly want to be there for that, and do thank yous after that.”
The week of the benefit, Wright hopes he will be able to start on a new series of chemotherapy treatments, which will run for about eight weeks before their effect is fully known.
“Dr. Amnuay Ginghakowinta is my oncologist (in Lake Orion), and he and his staff have been the absolute best,” he said. “It’s good to know he’s still quarterbacking things.”
Wright has also gotten a lot of support from the Orion/Oxford Ministers’ Association.
“I’m blessed to be a part of that…the prayers and support of my colleagues of all denominations, as well as their churches, has really been a wonderful thing.”
Finally, Wright believes that although his illness could have pulled his already close family apart, it has only drawn them more together.
“I’ve got special kids and the most special wife in the world,” he said.
To get tickets for the Oct. 18 benefit dinner and silent auction for the Wright Family, being held at St. Joe’s, contact Deb Simms at 391-2025, or Kim Gibson at 288-1385. Tickets are also available at King of Kings on Sunday morning, and will be available at the door. Monetary donations are also accepted.