Dwight's Brain Cancer Treatment
I’m not usually the kind of person to publicly announce/discuss my relationship or ask for financial help but with no other options left, this is the only way I can try to save the man I love.
I first met Dwight in November 2016 while in Jamaica and learned of his illness in December of that year– he told me he has a brain tumour which requires surgery to remove it. Although I knew any kind of brain tumour is serious, he didn’t tell me the full extent of the illness at the time. Gradually I began to find out just how serious the illness is… the tumour is a Glioblastoma – a deadly cancer where just 20% of patients live more than 1 year and 3% live more than 3 years. For a man in his 20s those statistics are heart-breaking and for months I did my best not to think about it.
Dwight suffered with headaches for many years and assumed they were migraines. Eventually a doctor recommended a MRI scan -they were unsure of what they were seeing and a lot of time was wasted. A year later they finally did a biopsy which confirmed the diagnosis. He has since undergone 2 surgical procedures where they drilled into the affected area (via behind his ear) in attempt to extract the tumour – this was the only kind of surgery available in Jamaica for this kind of brain tumour due to lack of resources.
The most recent surgery was done in February this year – the surgeon was confident that the tumour was removed and that Dwight had a good chance at recovery. We thought this surgery would buy some time.. at least a couple of years before anything else needed to be done.. but follow up tests revealed the tumour is already growing rapidly and the only chance to save him is surgery in another caribbean country (can't disclose) followed by chemotherapy.
So far Dwight’s surgeries have cost over 15,000 USD - a sum not easy for the average Jamaican to get hold of. This is including various discounts and partial aid from a local organisation.
After paying for the surgery he couldn’t afford chemotherapy - without this treatment the tumour was able to grow back rapidly. The medication also costs hundreds of dollars each month and because of this he hasn’t been able to get everything the doctors say he needs.
Although I technically live in England, you might have noticed I’ve been spending a lot of time in Jamaica recently. I’ve seen with my own eyes how much he is suffering – there are days where he’s in so much pain he can’t move.. and at the moment this is 2/3 of the time. I’ve been there when he can’t sleep from the pain, when he’s vomiting and unable to eat, when he’s been disorientated, dizzy, emotional and experiencing memory loss and confusion. We talk about the future knowing we might never have a chance to make one together, all because he was born in a country that lacks a funded healthcare/welfare system.
It has got to the point where he is too sick to work – he used to do tours around the island but had to sell his car to pay for the surgery. Until recently he was doing tiling work but after collapsing on the job, his supervisor won’t give him any more work – telling him he doesn’t want him to die on the work site.
This has made it a constant struggle to find money for food, rent, transport to and from hospital, hospital fees for tests and appointments etc. At times he’s been in severe pain and bleeding heavily from his nose but couldn’t even go to the hospital because there was no money to get there or pay the doctor to see him.
Coming from a poor family, they’re unable to help and as you can probably guess, there is no social care in Jamaica - the few charities that do exist have limited resources and are poorly coordinated.
I have done a lot of research into the more holistic methods for treatment - i believe diet makes a massive difference but the problem is he can't afford to eat healthy options (i.e coconut/flaxseed oil, brown rice etc) which are more expensive in Jamaica (and even more so in Negril). Some of the recommended foods are difficult to track down and anything that needs importing is always extortionately priced.
I have been helping financially as much as I can but I’ve reached the point where all I can do now is ask for the generosity of friends, family and strangers in donating ANYTHING you can and/or sharing this page. If you have any advice/ideas about fundraising, sponsored activities or information about charities that would help a Jamaican with paying for healthcare please message me!
The doctors have said he needs the surgery urgently or it will be too late – it won’t be long before it reaches the point where there is nothing else they can do to treat him.
Below is a summary of the costs we need to cover:
Surgery in another caribbean country (cant disclose) – 5000 USD
Extra Chemo sessions – approx 1000 USD per session
Rent – 300-400 USD per month
Medication
Food/Utility Bills/transport to hospital etc
Hospital Bills – check ups/ tests etc
Your help and advice is very much appreciated, thank you so much for reading.
Luci x
