Camerons Cancer Conquering Cause
Donation protected
I want to take a moment to tell you about a Daddy to three young girls. A biological brother to four and an emotional brother too many more. A husband to his childhood sweet heart. A cousin An Uncle. A friend. A man who would go to any lengths for the ones he loves and let’s not forget a son.
This man is Cameron and he is 24 years old.
Cameron who is all these things and more was over joyed with life, his fiancé was pregnant with their third child together, and his wedding was in the midst of being planned. However that excitement came with side news and a heavy burden. 7 months later in April he had a lump that Dr’s discovered was a tumour that was soon found to be testicular cancer. Things moved quickly he was diagnosed on the Thursday and had an operation to remove his testicle on the Friday.
This was the beginning of a long road for Cameron and his little family.
The birth of his third daughter was to be by C-section and earlier than expected so Cameron could be at the birth before his chemotherapy treatment began.
Over the next three months he endured 4 cycles of BEP Chemotherapy, three months later he was to have a PET scan to determine if that was enough to rid his body of cancer. However Dr’s found Cameron had relapsed and the cancer had spread through his lymph nodes to his stomach and lung leading to two more cycles of TIPS Chemotherapy.
During these next cycles Cameron and his childhood sweetheart Stephanie had their wedding booked and planned, Dr’s were working treatments around his wedding to ensure he was at his best health between cycles for his wedding day. However this didn’t go to plan and four days before the wedding his white cell count was dangerously low and he was admitted in isolation with monitored visitors and painful injections to stimulate his bone marrow into producing more healthy cells.
He was advised during this time that the wedding should be either cancelled or at his bed side in the hospital. Determined to make it to his own wedding he had many conversations and came to an agreement with his soon to be wife and Dr that he would discharge himself against medical advice for the ceremony and initial formalities before returning to the hospital 5 hours later as a married man. It was an amazing well planned and thought out ceremony in the gorgeous swan valley it was the most beautiful, meaningful emotional wedding I have ever been to. It was the hardest thing to watch them leave their own wedding so early to return to the hospital I can’t begin to imagine how it felt for them. It was a gracious noble act on their part that truly shows the love and dedication to each other and Cameron’s health that they hold.
After the wedding he stayed in the hospital receiving treatment until he was finally discharged into his wife and children’s care on Christmas day, knowing he would be returning for regular appointments and stem cell harvesting in the following February.
February came faster than expected and before we knew it Cameron was back in the hospital beginning a 20 hour stem cell harvest to condition his cells before replacing them. This was followed by 70 hours nonstop chemotherapy and the process of replacement of those cells.
Dr’s repeated the stem cell therapy (transplant) twice in the space of three months. In this time he missed his first born daughters 5th birthday.
Now after getting back into the swing of life as a healthy man post stem cell therapy his most recent PET scan revealed he isn’t the healthy man we all hoped the treatment would recreate.
Proving after 16 month of appointments, admissions, surgery, chemotherapies, bone marrow and stem cell transplants it seems it is still not enough.
The tumours in his stomach are more active and Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection is needed meaning they are going to try cut those tumours out.
The tumours on his lung they are hoping another round of chemo and possibly another stem cell therapy will decrease their growth.
He is a very private man and took each part of this battle in his stride focusing on nothing more than his health and his family. Cameron worked hard and spent what free time he had with his family and playing football for his local club Kelmscott Bulldogs and when he felt well enough between courses he went back to work to keep his family financially afloat as well as for his own sanity I think as he went from pulling the longest working weeks to not being able to work.
As young newlywed, home owners raising a family we have all rallied to help as much as we can and will continue to . . . .As you can imagine this has been a very lengthy expensive process and funds are beyond imaginable. We are hoping this is the last couple of hurdles before he becomes the hardworking healthy family man he always was.
We have decided one way to help is to try take some of the financial pressure off and fundraising some money to help get over what we are all praying is his last hurdle.
*Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving – Henry Rosso
*Alone we can do so little together we can do so much – Helen Keller
Along with our quest to help them financially we would also like to urge everyone reading this to stay on top of their health, get checked if something doesn’t feel right. Know your body and don’t be afraid to get something checked out. Find out facts and speak out about these things.
We thank you for taking the time to read Cameron’s journey and remember every donation helps.
Thank you for your support.
This man is Cameron and he is 24 years old.
Cameron who is all these things and more was over joyed with life, his fiancé was pregnant with their third child together, and his wedding was in the midst of being planned. However that excitement came with side news and a heavy burden. 7 months later in April he had a lump that Dr’s discovered was a tumour that was soon found to be testicular cancer. Things moved quickly he was diagnosed on the Thursday and had an operation to remove his testicle on the Friday.
This was the beginning of a long road for Cameron and his little family.
The birth of his third daughter was to be by C-section and earlier than expected so Cameron could be at the birth before his chemotherapy treatment began.
Over the next three months he endured 4 cycles of BEP Chemotherapy, three months later he was to have a PET scan to determine if that was enough to rid his body of cancer. However Dr’s found Cameron had relapsed and the cancer had spread through his lymph nodes to his stomach and lung leading to two more cycles of TIPS Chemotherapy.
During these next cycles Cameron and his childhood sweetheart Stephanie had their wedding booked and planned, Dr’s were working treatments around his wedding to ensure he was at his best health between cycles for his wedding day. However this didn’t go to plan and four days before the wedding his white cell count was dangerously low and he was admitted in isolation with monitored visitors and painful injections to stimulate his bone marrow into producing more healthy cells.
He was advised during this time that the wedding should be either cancelled or at his bed side in the hospital. Determined to make it to his own wedding he had many conversations and came to an agreement with his soon to be wife and Dr that he would discharge himself against medical advice for the ceremony and initial formalities before returning to the hospital 5 hours later as a married man. It was an amazing well planned and thought out ceremony in the gorgeous swan valley it was the most beautiful, meaningful emotional wedding I have ever been to. It was the hardest thing to watch them leave their own wedding so early to return to the hospital I can’t begin to imagine how it felt for them. It was a gracious noble act on their part that truly shows the love and dedication to each other and Cameron’s health that they hold.
After the wedding he stayed in the hospital receiving treatment until he was finally discharged into his wife and children’s care on Christmas day, knowing he would be returning for regular appointments and stem cell harvesting in the following February.
February came faster than expected and before we knew it Cameron was back in the hospital beginning a 20 hour stem cell harvest to condition his cells before replacing them. This was followed by 70 hours nonstop chemotherapy and the process of replacement of those cells.
Dr’s repeated the stem cell therapy (transplant) twice in the space of three months. In this time he missed his first born daughters 5th birthday.
Now after getting back into the swing of life as a healthy man post stem cell therapy his most recent PET scan revealed he isn’t the healthy man we all hoped the treatment would recreate.
Proving after 16 month of appointments, admissions, surgery, chemotherapies, bone marrow and stem cell transplants it seems it is still not enough.
The tumours in his stomach are more active and Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection is needed meaning they are going to try cut those tumours out.
The tumours on his lung they are hoping another round of chemo and possibly another stem cell therapy will decrease their growth.
He is a very private man and took each part of this battle in his stride focusing on nothing more than his health and his family. Cameron worked hard and spent what free time he had with his family and playing football for his local club Kelmscott Bulldogs and when he felt well enough between courses he went back to work to keep his family financially afloat as well as for his own sanity I think as he went from pulling the longest working weeks to not being able to work.
As young newlywed, home owners raising a family we have all rallied to help as much as we can and will continue to . . . .As you can imagine this has been a very lengthy expensive process and funds are beyond imaginable. We are hoping this is the last couple of hurdles before he becomes the hardworking healthy family man he always was.
We have decided one way to help is to try take some of the financial pressure off and fundraising some money to help get over what we are all praying is his last hurdle.
*Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving – Henry Rosso
*Alone we can do so little together we can do so much – Helen Keller
Along with our quest to help them financially we would also like to urge everyone reading this to stay on top of their health, get checked if something doesn’t feel right. Know your body and don’t be afraid to get something checked out. Find out facts and speak out about these things.
We thank you for taking the time to read Cameron’s journey and remember every donation helps.
Thank you for your support.
Organizer
Neely May Hughes
Organizer
Bedfordale WA
