A Knight's Battle Against Cancer
Donation protected
This Knight family know no other way but to fight. Fight for love, fight for family, fight for life and their biggest fight is now.
Background
Matthew (32 years old) and Clare Knight (31 years old) are a beautiful young couple who fought tirelessly over almost 3 years through a battle including heartaches to finally become pregnant and have their beautiful son Elliott. When the battle was finally won, Clare was 20 weeks pregnant and could safely share the excitement with the world, however, at the same time a whole new and much larger battle was upon them and the toughest year of their lives began.
Matthew had been having daily headaches and a loss of smell which GP’s were treating as a case of sinusitis. Antibiotics were not helping so a CT scan, specialist referral and MRI was booked to rectify sinusitis with a simple surgery. The results of the MRI scan before surgery, however, led Matthew to the emergency room having a biopsy done on a lymph node. In a whirlwind of a moment Matthew was sent home to finish building a cot for his unborn child with the diagnosis of “cancer” and to await the next steps.
Matthew never concerned himself with what was happening to himself at the time more that he continued to take care of those around him. He is a logical engineer and a “tell it how it is” kind of man who loves helping and fixing things for everyone around him. This cancer is the one thing he frustratingly cannot fix himself.
After extensive testing with multiple specialists, Matthew underwent a major 12-hour surgery, risking his eye sight and potential brain functioning in areas where the tumour had grown to. The surgery went well and involved the removal of the tumour in his nasal cavity, eye sockets, brain membrane and a full neck dissection removing over 60 lymph nodes from the neck alone. Matthew came out as sharp as ever – correcting Clare when she incorrectly calculated a medicine dosage.
To ensure the eradication of this aggressive cancer, now recognized as an incredibly rare Sinonasal Adenocarcinoma (Accounting for less than 2% of cancers occurring with the average age of 60+), Matthew then underwent 33 painfully intense sessions of radiation to the head and neck. Clare was with him every step of the way and every daily treatment, with the team of doctors awaiting the arrival of their unborn baby with them. The PET Scan 4 weeks in to the radiotherapy gave them something to celebrate, there was only two small cancer infected, inflamed lymph nodes remaining in Matthew’s neck. The team ensured this was heavily treated, so Matthew and Clare took a long-awaited sigh of relief with Matthew finishing treatment 2 weeks before the birth of their long-awaited son Elliott. Matthew spent 1.5 months after the end of radiotherapy with a feeding tube but still stood up as a best man at one of his best friend’s wedding with the joy of knowing this battle was almost won.
They may not have been able to enjoy the precious moments of the pregnancy, but Clare and Matthew looked ahead to the time with this bundle of joy. Joking that with Matthew’s sense of smell completely diminished from losing this part of the brain in the surgery that he would forever be on nappy duty. Though a joke, from the day of Elliott’s arrival Matthew was up constantly changing his son and was already the protective father wanting to do everything. It wasn’t until being almost 2 months home when Matthew started to feel a sense of normality again starting to gain weight from being back on solid foods since the radiotherapy. However, he then began to feel pain in his rib and stiffness in his back. Assuming this was just from lifting his new bundle of joy, the doctors suspected nothing cancer related going into the 10-week post treatment PET Scan. What they found though shocked both doctors and this young family alike since the previous scan was almost clear. The cancer had spread to his bones, throughout his ribs, spine and pelvis.
With this cancer being so incredibly aggressive and rare doctors looked to treat the bones with chemotherapy suggesting this would help contain the cancer and prolong life. So, without question the next battle of chemotherapy began. The positive outlook was the chemotherapy did seem to be having a good effect on the cancer within Matthew’s bones as additional PET scans showed a decrease in the bone metastases. Time was made more precious but at least they had time and were able to hang onto this positivity. They spent time between treatments with each other, family, friends and doing new things as their own family unit.
It was the day after Elliott’s baptism, however, that took the trio back to hospital after Matthew had a seizure. A new MRI revealed the cancer had grown back through the meninges of the brain. Doctors were left without knowing how to combat this and still ensure quality of life, especially with the cancer not being localized in the brain. And so, without hesitation, and with faith, Matthew started radiotherapy as the only option doctors saw to try and contain the brain metastases.
Current Situation
While the radiotherapy has minimized some of the brain cancer, it has spread further in other areas of the meninges causing Matthew to have moments of confusion and severe headaches. Doctors are unsure how the progressive symptoms will occur maintaining Matthew’s functioning through steroids minimising any swelling.
With no clinical trial available to this incredibly rare cancer as well as any cancer metastasized in the brain, Clare and Matthew are required to lead the battle and self-fund an immunotherapy drug. This trial will not only be experimental for Matthew but has also not been documented for anyone globally with Matthew’s type of cancer. This has been recommended as their only option to fight, and this new family know no other way but to fight. Fight for love, fight for family, fight for life and to fight now. Elliott's biggest smiles have always been for his Dad - a Dad who hopes to watch his son get married or graduate but, currently and most importantly, Matthew’s biggest hope is to be there for his first birthday.
Our Ask
Matthew and Clare have always been very private, independent and each others support but we want to show them the generosity and kindness of friends and strangers alike. The immunotherapy treatment is a costly venture after an already difficult journey which feels to be across years but has occurred in the space of one. Each treatment is $6,000 which occur every 3 weeks. If Matthew is still managing and feeling well he will have 3 treatments followed by PET and MRI scans to see if there is an impact and hopefully with positive results will continue this for a full year. Any support, donations, prayers and thoughts are greatly appreciated. Those who have already helped with meals and driving the family can not thank you enough.
Not many people in the world fight this cancer and even less beat it due its rarity – lets help Matthew be the Knight that finally stops winning small battles but instead wins the war!
Background
Matthew (32 years old) and Clare Knight (31 years old) are a beautiful young couple who fought tirelessly over almost 3 years through a battle including heartaches to finally become pregnant and have their beautiful son Elliott. When the battle was finally won, Clare was 20 weeks pregnant and could safely share the excitement with the world, however, at the same time a whole new and much larger battle was upon them and the toughest year of their lives began.
Matthew had been having daily headaches and a loss of smell which GP’s were treating as a case of sinusitis. Antibiotics were not helping so a CT scan, specialist referral and MRI was booked to rectify sinusitis with a simple surgery. The results of the MRI scan before surgery, however, led Matthew to the emergency room having a biopsy done on a lymph node. In a whirlwind of a moment Matthew was sent home to finish building a cot for his unborn child with the diagnosis of “cancer” and to await the next steps.
Matthew never concerned himself with what was happening to himself at the time more that he continued to take care of those around him. He is a logical engineer and a “tell it how it is” kind of man who loves helping and fixing things for everyone around him. This cancer is the one thing he frustratingly cannot fix himself.
After extensive testing with multiple specialists, Matthew underwent a major 12-hour surgery, risking his eye sight and potential brain functioning in areas where the tumour had grown to. The surgery went well and involved the removal of the tumour in his nasal cavity, eye sockets, brain membrane and a full neck dissection removing over 60 lymph nodes from the neck alone. Matthew came out as sharp as ever – correcting Clare when she incorrectly calculated a medicine dosage.
To ensure the eradication of this aggressive cancer, now recognized as an incredibly rare Sinonasal Adenocarcinoma (Accounting for less than 2% of cancers occurring with the average age of 60+), Matthew then underwent 33 painfully intense sessions of radiation to the head and neck. Clare was with him every step of the way and every daily treatment, with the team of doctors awaiting the arrival of their unborn baby with them. The PET Scan 4 weeks in to the radiotherapy gave them something to celebrate, there was only two small cancer infected, inflamed lymph nodes remaining in Matthew’s neck. The team ensured this was heavily treated, so Matthew and Clare took a long-awaited sigh of relief with Matthew finishing treatment 2 weeks before the birth of their long-awaited son Elliott. Matthew spent 1.5 months after the end of radiotherapy with a feeding tube but still stood up as a best man at one of his best friend’s wedding with the joy of knowing this battle was almost won.
They may not have been able to enjoy the precious moments of the pregnancy, but Clare and Matthew looked ahead to the time with this bundle of joy. Joking that with Matthew’s sense of smell completely diminished from losing this part of the brain in the surgery that he would forever be on nappy duty. Though a joke, from the day of Elliott’s arrival Matthew was up constantly changing his son and was already the protective father wanting to do everything. It wasn’t until being almost 2 months home when Matthew started to feel a sense of normality again starting to gain weight from being back on solid foods since the radiotherapy. However, he then began to feel pain in his rib and stiffness in his back. Assuming this was just from lifting his new bundle of joy, the doctors suspected nothing cancer related going into the 10-week post treatment PET Scan. What they found though shocked both doctors and this young family alike since the previous scan was almost clear. The cancer had spread to his bones, throughout his ribs, spine and pelvis.
With this cancer being so incredibly aggressive and rare doctors looked to treat the bones with chemotherapy suggesting this would help contain the cancer and prolong life. So, without question the next battle of chemotherapy began. The positive outlook was the chemotherapy did seem to be having a good effect on the cancer within Matthew’s bones as additional PET scans showed a decrease in the bone metastases. Time was made more precious but at least they had time and were able to hang onto this positivity. They spent time between treatments with each other, family, friends and doing new things as their own family unit.
It was the day after Elliott’s baptism, however, that took the trio back to hospital after Matthew had a seizure. A new MRI revealed the cancer had grown back through the meninges of the brain. Doctors were left without knowing how to combat this and still ensure quality of life, especially with the cancer not being localized in the brain. And so, without hesitation, and with faith, Matthew started radiotherapy as the only option doctors saw to try and contain the brain metastases.
Current Situation
While the radiotherapy has minimized some of the brain cancer, it has spread further in other areas of the meninges causing Matthew to have moments of confusion and severe headaches. Doctors are unsure how the progressive symptoms will occur maintaining Matthew’s functioning through steroids minimising any swelling.
With no clinical trial available to this incredibly rare cancer as well as any cancer metastasized in the brain, Clare and Matthew are required to lead the battle and self-fund an immunotherapy drug. This trial will not only be experimental for Matthew but has also not been documented for anyone globally with Matthew’s type of cancer. This has been recommended as their only option to fight, and this new family know no other way but to fight. Fight for love, fight for family, fight for life and to fight now. Elliott's biggest smiles have always been for his Dad - a Dad who hopes to watch his son get married or graduate but, currently and most importantly, Matthew’s biggest hope is to be there for his first birthday.
Our Ask
Matthew and Clare have always been very private, independent and each others support but we want to show them the generosity and kindness of friends and strangers alike. The immunotherapy treatment is a costly venture after an already difficult journey which feels to be across years but has occurred in the space of one. Each treatment is $6,000 which occur every 3 weeks. If Matthew is still managing and feeling well he will have 3 treatments followed by PET and MRI scans to see if there is an impact and hopefully with positive results will continue this for a full year. Any support, donations, prayers and thoughts are greatly appreciated. Those who have already helped with meals and driving the family can not thank you enough.
Not many people in the world fight this cancer and even less beat it due its rarity – lets help Matthew be the Knight that finally stops winning small battles but instead wins the war!
Organizer
Knight Family
Organizer
Melbourne VIC
