A spaghetti benefit meal is planned from 4 to 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15, for former Bluffton resident Tim Bame. Tim, his wife, Julie, and their two children, Christian, 17, and Hillarie, 14, were Bluffton residents for seven years.

The benefit takes place at Southside Christian Church, 3300 S. Side Dr., Lima. Tickets are $10 per person. Persons interested in attending may RSVP on Facebook. (Tim Bame Spaghetti Dinner Benefit)

Here’s Tim’s story:

This past summer, Tim now of Elida, was diagnosed with an invasive bladder cancer called Transitional Cell Carcinoma. 

He went through eight weeks of intense chemotherapy before having extensive surgery on Oct. 15 to remove his bladder and then construct a new one, using a small section of his intestine. 

A week later, Tim was released from the hospital. He received a good prognosis, as no cancer was found in the surrounding lymph nodes. 

However, his recovery will be long and challenging, and it is uncertain when he will be able to return to work. 

He still has a urinary catheter in place to remove stress from his newly constructed bladder as it heals.

Near the end of November he will have additional testing to rule out possible leaks in his bladder.  If all goes well he will have his last catheter removed at that time.