Community Corner

Cancer Victim Dunlap's Resilience, Life Inspiration to Many

Lifelong Plum resident Michael Dunlap died of brain cancer at the age of 24 but has inspired countless friends, family and acquaintances.

Mike Dunlap wasn't a saint. He was a normal 24-year-old hockey-loving graduate student who had no choice but to have brain cancer.

But Mike exhibited extraordinary strength and resilience from his first diagnosis in 2007 to his death in March, friends and family said.

"He was courageous, never complaining and fighting to the end with a smile," one of his oldest friends, Brian Rasel, wrote that Sunday, March 27.

The 2004 Plum graduate never asked "why me?" even when life seemed most unjust, parents Bill and Sue Dunlap said.

And while Mike's physical presence is gone, he has inspired family, friends, neighbors and former classmates with his sense of hope, evidenced by the dozens of visitors, cards and Facebook messages that filled his final weeks.

It was a far cry from May of 2007 when Mike, an avid golfer, had a seizure in his left arm just as he was about to tee off. Paramedics life-flighted him to UPMC Presbyterian.

Doctors initially called it a "brain lesion" because the Dunlaps had no history of cancer, and Mike was only 20 at the time, but another seizure on Mike's first day of classes that semester at Indiana University of Pennsylvania revealed the severity of his case.

Mike had brain surgery in December conducted by UPMC neurosurgeon Dr. Arlan Mintz, who was able to remove most of the tumor.

Mike endured six weeks of radiation and 14 months of chemotherapy, all while attending school. He was in the clear for two years.

"He went for an MRI every four months, and we just continued to be hopeful," Sue said.

Mike spent his time with his longtime girlfriend, Missy Zielonka, and began working on his Master's degree with hopes of teaching English as a college professor.

Two spots changed everything.

Initially last April, doctors thought it could be radiation damage, and one of the spots even disappeared in August. The Dunlaps found out, however, that it was another tumor—this one on both sides of Mike's brain. It fingered out into multiple areas, affecting various functions.

Doctors tried various types of chemotherapy but said they would be unable to operate or conduct radiation treatment to reduce or eliminate the tumor.

He had to drop out of school due to his inability to concentrate, just nine credits away from his Master's degree.

As fall progressed, Mike began to experience a heavy feeling in his right leg, and by November, he couldn't walk. He began to lose use of other parts of his body, no longer able to send text messages or play video games, which was frustrating to someone who needed to stay occupied, Sue said.

The family got a hospital bed and wheelchair and moved Mike into the living room.

Then came Feb. 7—the day the Dunlaps learned that Mike would die from cancer. He entered hospice care immediately, at home.

"There was no doubt he was staying here with us," Sue said of the choice between home or in-house hospice treatment.

Doctors said he had four to six weeks to live, but Mike never asked how long he had.

Even after finding out he was dying, Mike's biggest concern was how he would tell the love of his life, Bill said.

"Not many young girls would have stayed with a guy in Mike's situation," Sue said, but Missy stayed strong with him, even with the devastation that they could never have their dream life of a marriage and place of their own with their dog.

Friends and former classmates poured in to visit when they heard that Mike's case was terminal.

"You couldn't find a place to park, there were so many people here," Sue said. The grass outside the Holiday Park home still bears tire marks.

Mike went outside for the last time in February. It was an unusually warm day, and the family bought lunch from Burger King and had an impromptu picnic in the backyard with Missy and Brian.

Mike's health continued to deteriorate through March, with his vision failing, followed by his ability to swallow. Bill and Sue slept on the floor or in Mike's wheelchair next to his bed so he wouldn't have to be alone.

Mike's devoted parents were with him when he died that Sunday morning.

"We knew the night before," Sue said. "He started to have trouble breathing."

Mike died peacefully in his living room hospital bed.

The following week, friends and family celebrated his life at Maurice L. Knee Funeral Home in Plum with lines of visitors that stretched out the door, followed by a funeral service at Holiday Park United Methodist Church. He was laid to rest at Plum Creek Cemetery on New Texas Road.

Although there is little evidence of Mike's illness remaining in his makeshift bedroom on the first floor, Bill and Sue took the cross from Mike's casket and hung it above the site of his hospital bed as a reminder.

Despite being a quiet person, Mike left an impression on many people—including Mario Lemieux, who sent him a signed on-ice jersey. Mike also received a signed shirt from Sidney Crosby.

"His passion for hockey was such a big part of his life," Sue said.

He was inspired early on by the Penguins' cup years in the early 90s and began playing for the Allegheny Badgers. He tried out for the Amateur Penguins and made it his first year, traveling out of state for competitions.

Mike continued to play for Plum High School's junior varsity and varsity teams and achieved many awards over the years.

The Dunlaps' garage door is a testament to the hockey fanaticism of Mike and his older brother, Chris, 26, who pummeled the door with missed goals over the years, much in the way of Sidney Crosby's famous dryer.

"We will never replace that garage door," Sue said.

When the Dunlaps look back on Mike's life, they are happy that he lived to see the Penguins win another Stanley Cup. Mike and Missy waited in line for hours in the spring of 2009 just to be able to touch the Cup, a memory that the Dunlaps said Mike cherished.

During the final minutes of the Stanley Cup championship game that year, Sue asked Mike what was more stressful—brain surgery or the final minutes of the Cup game.

"He said the hockey game, by far," Sue said.

The preacher at Mike's funeral even donned a Sidney Crosby jersey over his clerical collar.

Mike's quirky sense of humor got him through many of the hard times, his parents said. The family watched a lot of comedy on television such as Whose Line is it Anyway? and Everybody Loves Raymond. They played Mike's favorite funny movies even when he could no longer see, knowing he was able to picture the scenes in his mind.

From the first tumor on, Mike remained optimistic, his parents said.

"He said these were things to make him stronger, bumps in the road," Sue said.

"Everyone one of us said 'Why me?' but he never did," Chris said. "He accepted reality."

While the Dunlaps are wracked with grief, they draw strength from the fact that Mike's life has inspired so many people to greatness, such as the Plum varsity hockey team, who kicked off a winning streak and fought their way into the playoffs when they began honoring their former Mustang with a moment of silence before each game.

Dozens of friends and acquaintances have expressed gratitude that Mike's constitution helped them appreciate life and family more.

"If he can handle that (the cancer) so well, what do the rest of us have to complain about?" Chris said.

Suddenly life's little disappointments seem even smaller to a family who watched their son die with grace.

"He's our hero," Sue said.

Visit the Facebook page, In Memory of Michael Dunlap, for more photos and comments about his life.

Find out what's happening in Plum-Oakmontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here