Doctors gave Chad Senas two months to live after discovering a cancerous tumor the size of a football in his pelvis over three years ago.

His survival depended on a radical 22-hour surgery that removed the right side of his body below his ribs, including his leg.

With his tenacity and faith, Senas was able to return to work before the osteosarcoma, a cancer of the bone, began to ravage his body again in 2006, said his wife, Janette.

Today at 43, Senas is once again fighting for his life, and his Hawaii doctors say his only chance of survival lies in clinical trial treatments at City of Hope Cancer Institute in Los Angeles

Mililani High School is sponsoring a fundraising dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday to help the Senases with the cost of their mainland stay. Donations of items and services are needed for a silent auction, and may be dropped off at the school office.

The Senases are parents of a succession of four female softball standouts over the past eight years at Mililani. The latest star is Courtney, a junior All State shortstop.

Previous sisters who are now playing in college on scholarship include Ciera, Chastity and Chanelle. The Senases also have a son, Chad, a fifth-grader at Mililani Uka.

Chad Senas said he is always in pain from past surgeries, but he does not miss a game—“;Thank God I can watch them play.”;

“;When we go to the ball field, go to the tournaments, that's the time for us to forget we have cancer,”; added Janette Senas.

In spite of the anguish he has suffered, Senas said, “;I praise God. I thank God. It could have been worse. I could've lost two legs, they could cut off my right arm, too. I could've died. Doctors said I had a couple months to live.

“;I was mad at first when everything happened. But what happens, happens. No sense being one big grouch all the time. Just continue on with life,”; he said.

Once a carpenter and roofer, Senas was “;glad when my boss encouraged me to come around and help”; on jobs that allowed him to scoot around on the floor. “;I try to keep busy, try to help. ... The main thing, they feed me lunch.”;