Cain Hickey was first employed in viticulture research and extension at the Penn State Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center in 2007. (GoFundMe)
A GoFundMe has been set up for several weeks for Cain Hickey, Penn State Extension’s Assistant Teaching Professor of Viticulture, and his family.
You can access it at this link.
According to an update beneath the GoFundMe text, Hickey traveled from State College to Erie, Pennsylvania, on June 23 to attend a grape-growing workshop and collect plant material from Erie County vineyards as part of an ongoing research project. The next day, after experiencing symptoms of blurred vision, dizziness and confused speech, he sought treatment at the UPMC Hamot hospital
Tests discovered two brain tumors and, later, lung tumors. On June 26, he had brain surgery, and the two tumors were removed via a craniotomy. Additional imaging three days later found more tumors in his lungs, lower back bones, and throat, all related to Stage 4 cancer.
Hickey is a husband and father of three elementary-school children.
Per the GoFundMe, his family is facing overwhelming medical expenses, travel to specialists, medications, lost income, and countless unexpected costs that come with this diagnosis.
He is continuing to receive treatments in Erie, but his wife Lisa wrote in an early July update that they were planning to travel to UPMC Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center to seek recommendations and opinions from specialists there.
A story posted on July 8 noted that, growing up in Erie, he originally trained as a nurse. But Lisa saw a passion for wine grapes and viticulture in him, ultimately leading to his majoring in horticulture as he earned his bachelor’s from Penn State (2009) and his master’s (2012) and doctorate (2016) from Virginia Tech.
According to his bio, Hickey has presented at state, regional, national, and international academic and industry conferences, and developed and coordinated numerous extension workshops. In addition, he has written peer-reviewed journal articles and extension publications. His research has an applied viticulture emphasis, and has recently been focused on cultivar evaluation, and pruning, trellising, and fruit-zone management as they relate to crop yield, fruit composition, and spring frost mitigation.
He began his current appointment at Penn State on May 1, 2020. Before that, he was first employed in viticulture research and extension at the Penn State Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center in 2007.
Cain Hickey and his wife Lisa. He underwent brain surgery on June 26. (GoFundMe)
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