Man diagnosed with terminal cancer, family holding auction to raise money for bucket list trips

Sam Bland with his two young daughters- Courtesy of Casidhe Bland

Posted: Apr 14, 2023 / 12:37 PM EDT

Updated: Apr 14, 2023 / 12:37 PM EDT

DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) — In November 2022, Sam Bland, the adult son of a Dothan City School principal, was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer.

Casidhe Bland, Sam’s wife, says after they received the diagnosis, Sam underwent weeks of intense treatment at the Mayo Clinic for an inoperable diffuse Pediatric High-Grade Glioma. After this, doctors gave him around another year to live.

This prognosis changed the lives of Sam, Casidhe, and their two young daughters, but it has not stopped them from living.

We were devastated by his diagnosis and still are but it came to a point where we decided that rather than losing ourselves in grief that we needed to cherish every precious moment. We also want to give our young girls as many beautiful memories as possible. And from that our auction was born.
Casidhe Bland

Casidhe was given the idea of an online auction by a friend, and from there, the idea blossomed. Since reaching out to local businesses, the Bland family has had over 100 donations, which will be available for bidding on their public Facebook event page. Each item will be listed with a picture, description, retail value, and starting bid.

The auction will begin Sunday, April 16, and run through Thursday, April 20.

Using the money raised, Sam hopes to cross a few things off his bucket list, including visiting the Grand Canyon and experiencing Disney World with his daughters.

You can participate in the auction by clicking this link!

There are also ways to donate via: