Redford musician battling rare cancer struggles to insure surgery, asks for help

REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - Music is Michael Lipson’s life. From piano, to guitar, to clarinet – the 45-year-old can play any instrument thrown at him. 

His passion is what’s getting him through his cancer diagnosis: sacral chordoma.

Chordoma is a rare form of cancer found in the spine. Lipson's tumor is at the base of his spine, near the tailbone, which could cause him to lose movement in his legs and much more.

"Yesterday, I’m teaching a music lesson, I’m tapping my foot, and I’m starting to cry – and I don’t want to do this in front of the students," said Lipson of Redford Township. "(But) I'm like 'when is the last time I’m going to be able to tap my foot?'"

Chordomas make up roughly 3% of all bone tumors and 20% of primary spinal tumors, according to the Chardoma Foundation. "They are the most common tumor of the sacrum and cervical spine."

Lipson will need surgery to remove the mass, he said. Due to the cancer's rarity and complicated treatment, a specialist surgeon is needed – but he is having difficulty finding someone in Michigan.

He now has to find a surgeon out of state, and that has proven to be another challenging task.

"They won’t accept my insurance. I have Medicaid. I didn’t find out until recently, my state insurance is not accepted out of state," he said. "And I also can’t seem to get another insurance. Now I have a pre-existing condition."

Lipson is looking for help — whether it’s through his family’s GoFundMe to raise money for his medical fees, or an insurance expert who might be able to help him find coverage.

Lipson's sister, Marla Biederman, took to GoFundMe to share how loving and kind he is.

"My brother has always put other's health needs above his own; especially when it comes to our own mother," Biederman wrote. "He will spend countless hours with our mom helping her with eating, doing occupational and physical therapy, talking with her, singing with her and playing music for her. He visits with her almost every day."

Michael Lipson with his mother and sister. (GoFundMe by Marla Biederman)

When Lipson found out about his tumor, he was helping his mother in her recovery from a stroke. 

"With all this going on, I didn’t have an opportunity to freak out," he said. "I don’t think I’m handling it very well. I might look calm and cool, but I’m in a lot of pain, physically. And psychologically, it’s really messing me up."

Lipson still wants to help others, as chordoma is hard to detect. He is hoping to raise awareness so others can catch it early.

"An MRI is the only thing that’s going to be able to expose this, and most doctors are reluctant to give you an MRI," he said.

For now, Lipson is hanging on to hope – staying attuned and trying to maintain a positive rhythm.

Lipson's GoFundMe, created by his family, can be found here. He posts updates there, keeping those who donate informed on his journey while playing some jams from time to time.