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Your Coffee Fund vs Cancer

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UPDATE:
On behalf of Carlo's family, we would like to express our sincerest gratitude to all of those who helped us with this campaign and sent comforting words and prayers over the past four years.

After his surgery in Singapore last year, the doctors have advised the family of a highly possible recurrence. True enough, over the past two months the tumor became aggressive and worked its way upward to his brain and downward to his throat. He has been having difficulty breathing since. After being in a state of coma for more than 12hrs, Carlo passed away yesterday evening (May 9, 2017; PST) with his family & friends beside him.

We would like you to know that all of your efforts in helping us raise funds will not go in vain. While most of the amount we've raised were used to help fund his hospitalization costs in Singapore, we will continue to raise funds through this GoFundMe Campaign and other means so we can help his family recover -- bearing in mind that he won't be here to help Phoebe raise their son, Caleb, who will turn 3 this year.

Again, with grateful hearts and with so much love and appreciation, we want to say THANK YOU. May all of your hearts be blessed.

**Note: For friends who are interested in helping us through other means and would also like to know details of his wake, you may get in touch with us through Facebook. Thank you.


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Do you drink coffee? 


Your daily cup of coffee can save a father's life today.

Most of us would know or have known someone battling cancer. It is a fight no one volunteered to take but a horrible reality that some of us have to face. 

On January 2013, the battle against cancer began for my closest friend Carlo.  Today, I write on his behalf as he pushes forward to rid cancer completely out of his system. 

Carlo has been diagnosed in his buccal area with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, a very rare & aggressive cancer. 

This type of cancer has affected Carlo's right face soft tissues and bones, leading for a tumor to protrude from his mouth and lips. This affects his capacity to swallow food and disrupts his sleep due to choking.  


Everyday life is very different now for Carlo and his family.  

Over the last 3 years of being in and out of procedures/treatments has taken a toll on Carlo's body and changed his appearance. But he is no where to giving up!!

In the last years, Carlo underwent 33  sessions of radiation therapy, 1&1/2 years of IV chemotherapy
before his major operation on November 2014. Afterwhich he had sought alternative therapy, healthy lifestyle & eating more fruits & vegetables, more on fish less on meat. In 6 months, he had been tumor-free. 

But in May 2015, the most dreadful news was heard. The tumor had recurred and is now bigger than before. 
His surgeon and other medical oncologists prescribed oral chemo drugs called Pazopanib, a very highly priced medication more than PHP 100K/month or over $3000 AUD/month. However, after 5 months of medication, his doctors revealed a much bigger tumor, thereby concluding that the tumor already became resistant to Pazopanib.






Carlo's condition is at its worst. He was admitted 4 times at The Medical City Hospital for PEG tube placement, implantation of Portacath, 1st cycle of IV Chemo drugs and suspicion of Sepsis.

The tumor near his throat needed to be removed.
But the medical oncologists in the Philippines do not know what to do now. They have exhausted all possible procedures and have suggested for Carlo to fly to Singapore to hopefully qualify for a clinical trial for recurring tumors. 

Carlo flew to Singapore in January 2016 and was advised to re-continue Pazopanib as the tumor needs to shrink before being operated. After weeks of medication, the tumor thankfully shrunk and now the surgery should be done immediately rather than wait for the tumor to become resistant to Pazopanib again.



In more than 3 years of Carlo's non-stop consultations, surgery/hospitalization, treatments, lab/diagnostic procedures, personalized nutrition, his family had already spent millions even with the financial help of relatives, friends & PCSO and has drained their finances despite selling assets. 

Carlo is in a battle against cancer and time. He needs our help to raise $100,000 AUD for his operation in Singapore this June 2016. He is currently in Singapore now awaiting results on some more tests that needed to be done. 

Despite the risk of being half-faced paralyzed, Carlo, together with his friends and family, will continue to fight and win against cancer. 

Carlo is a father to his 1-year old son, Caleb, and a husband to Phoebe. 


Every dollar is one step closer to saving a father, a husband, a brother, a son, an uncle, and a friend to many people who love and care for him every single day.

Any amount that you can offer or any referral/recommendation to any private charitable institution, who can help finance Carlo's operation in Singapore is greatly appreciated. 

How about making your coffee fund count today? 

Organizer

Loreli DeJesus
Organizer
Mascot NSW

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