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DUI charges for Kingston cop

First Posted: 12/19/2014 FACTORYVILLE &#8212; With family members engaged in a competitive but friendly Christmas decorating competition, a happy toddler exploring the house and a dog contentedly chewing on both its and the child&#8217;s toys, one may assume Mark Petrewski&#8217;s life to be fairly normal.
A bit hectic, perhaps, but normal.
Having just spent Thanksgiving in the hospital, however, and with a new round of chemotherapy scheduled for right after Christmas, the 30-year-old Factoryville resident, his wife Brittany Petrewski and daughter &#8220;Libby,&#8221; short for Elizabeth, are living on a metaphorical battlefield in his war against cancer.
&#8220;It&#8217;s very surreal right now,&#8221; Brittany Petrewski said, &#8220;because, like he [Mark] has said to a bunch of people, &#8216;you don&#8217;t really worry about it when you&#8217;re going through it.&#8217;&#8221;
Like in any war, the family recognizes the importance of strong allies, which they are finding in droves within the communities surrounding them.
As word of Mark Petrewski&#8217;s illness first started to spread, people began asking what they could do to help. When his sister, Kate Petrewski, learned of an online fundraising tool, Go Fund Me, she started a web page using the service to collect donations for her brother&#8217;s ever-increasing medical expenses. In the first 24 days that the page was available at gofundme.com/hrkmqk, 117 people made donations totalling $9,310, more than a third of the $25,000 goal.
Some donations on the site are left anonymously, others including the giver&#8217;s name and sometimes a short message to the family.
Courtney Koelsch left a note with her gift, &#8220;Praying for God&#8217;s complete healing.&#8221;
Jeff and Jennelle Wasilchak wrote, &#8220;Keeping you in our prayers that you find strength during this battle! God bless you!&#8221;
And Lizzie Brooks added her encouragement, &#8220;Keep fighting, coach!&#8221;
Mark Petrewski coached high school football, wrestling, and track from 2008 to 2011 at Lake-Lehman and off and on at Lackawanna Trail in 2007 and 2013. In 2012, he was the head track coach at Lackawanna Trail. He also taught health and physical education at Lake-Lehman.
After graduating from Lackawanna Trail, he attended college for health and physical education Slippery Rock University, later earning a master&#8217;s degree in exercise science from California University of Pennsylvania. Since February 2013 he has been employed by the Clarks Summit State Hospital as a therapeutic activities services specialist.
His wife, after graduating from Elk Lake School District, earned her degree in special education and elementary education from Kutztown University, then a master&#8217;s degree in education development and strategies at Wilkes University. She is currently employed as a teacher at Lathrop Street Elementary School in the Montrose Area School District.
Both their jobs are at the top of the list to which the family owes gratitude for their support &#8212; from simply being understanding about missed time, to organizing fundraisers to help with expenses. His co-workers at the Clarks Summit State Hospital are organizing an Applebee&#8217;s Flapjack Fundraiser Breakfast, to be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Jan. 3 at Applebee&#8217;s restaurant in the Viewmont Mall, Scranton.
The couple first met at a mutual friend&#8217;s house and began dating within two weeks. After dating for five years, they were engaged for one year, and married in 2010. Then Libby came along in July 2013.
Then in August, 2014, Mark became ill and was admitted to the hospital.
An introdution on the Go Fund Me page, written by Kate Petrewski, describes the tiring journey that followed:
&#8220;He spent three months in and out of multiple hospitals, being treated for multiple illnesses such as gallbladder disease, chronic pancreatitis, and Budd-Chiari syndrome. Mark has endured having his gallbladder removed, two failed attempts to remove three blood clots from major veins in his abdomen, having a GJ feeding tube placed to bypass his pancreas, multiple paracenteses to remove fluid, and two liver biopsies. &#8230;He was finally diagnosed on November 11, 2014 with stage IV neuroendocrine carcinoma, a form of pancreatic cancer, which has also spread to his liver.&#8221;
A new update was posted to the page on Dec. 13, stating, &#8220;Mark had a second opinion consultation appointment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. During this appointment, his full history was evaluated along with his up to date scans and treatment plan. A better explanation was given to Mark and Brittany about his diagnosis.
&#8220;Yes, the cancer is in his pancreas but technically it is a form of neuroendocrine carcinoma, not actual pancreatic cancer. That doesn&#8217;t necessarily make it any better or worse, just different. But the doctor at Sloan-Ketttering believes that Mark is currently on the correct treatment plan so that is the path he is going to continue to follow.&#8221;
This path is a long one, full of ups and downs, waiting and countless appointments, but the family still finds the ability to smile through it all.
When asked what they learned so far through the experience, Mark Petrewski said, &#8220;Perspectives have changed &#8212; what&#8217;s important and what&#8217;s not.&#8221;
His wife agreed, adding, &#8220;For the both of us.&#8221;
The Petrewskis said they are constantly finding themselves at a loss for words these days, overwhelmed by the generosity around them. In addition to the monetary gifts they are receiving online, they said people are continually offering to help in any way they can.
&#8220;Words can&#8217;t do any justice,&#8221; Mark Petrewski said. &#8220;You can say &#8216;thank-you&#8217; a million times, and it won&#8217;t even be able to touch on it.&#8221;

Helping with the fight