James' Surgery and Recovery Fund
Donation protected
James is an active 15 year old teenager, loves soccer, biking, remote control cars, Lego and his dog! He was enjoying his first year of high school with his friends when everything changed during March break 2016. He was taken to emergency with breathing problems and severe pain in his chest. In the hospital a large tumor was found pressing between his right chest wall and right lung. Weeks later he was diagnosed with a very rare (1 in a million) type of soft tissue cancer called synovial sarcoma.
Treatment prescribed was chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. The original plan for the surgery was to remove not only the tumor but also, due to the close proximity, his entire right lung. This would be necessary because the high doses of radiation to kill the tumor would completely damage the lung .
James has undergone 5 heavy cycles of chemotherapy. Three days of in-hospital stay with a five hour chemotherapy drip being administered and then repeated three weeks later. His first cycle of chemotherapy was unfortunately administered on his 15th birthday.
His parents are determined to get James back to health, beat the cancer and save his lung. Once chemotherapy is completed, James will be going for proton radiation treatment in the USA. This type of radiation is much more precise, much less damaging and will only attack the tumor and give James the best chance to keep his lung. The surgery would then be to only remove the tumor. Unfortunately this treatment is not available in Canada.
Along with conventional medicine, James has been undergoing integrative therapies to help keep his immune system strong and to attack the cancer. These treatments are not covered by Ontario health insurance and the expenses are adding up. James' mother has been forced by these circumstances to take unpaid leave from her job to take care of him full time. For treatment in the USA, James and his mother will have to relocate to Philadelphia for approximately two months, while his father stays back in Canada to take care of his younger brother and keep life as normal as possible for him.
The combination of therapy bills and cost of living expenses the family is accruing will continue to pile up while James fights to beat his cancer and save his lung. James and his family have been overwhelmed with gratitude from everyone's outpouring of love and support while they are faced with these challenges. Any financial support will be gratefully appreciated and extremely helpful in allowing James to continue with the treatments and therapies to give him the best chances of full recovery.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about James and his difficult journey, and on deciding to support James during this very challenging time.
Treatment prescribed was chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. The original plan for the surgery was to remove not only the tumor but also, due to the close proximity, his entire right lung. This would be necessary because the high doses of radiation to kill the tumor would completely damage the lung .
James has undergone 5 heavy cycles of chemotherapy. Three days of in-hospital stay with a five hour chemotherapy drip being administered and then repeated three weeks later. His first cycle of chemotherapy was unfortunately administered on his 15th birthday.
His parents are determined to get James back to health, beat the cancer and save his lung. Once chemotherapy is completed, James will be going for proton radiation treatment in the USA. This type of radiation is much more precise, much less damaging and will only attack the tumor and give James the best chance to keep his lung. The surgery would then be to only remove the tumor. Unfortunately this treatment is not available in Canada.
Along with conventional medicine, James has been undergoing integrative therapies to help keep his immune system strong and to attack the cancer. These treatments are not covered by Ontario health insurance and the expenses are adding up. James' mother has been forced by these circumstances to take unpaid leave from her job to take care of him full time. For treatment in the USA, James and his mother will have to relocate to Philadelphia for approximately two months, while his father stays back in Canada to take care of his younger brother and keep life as normal as possible for him.
The combination of therapy bills and cost of living expenses the family is accruing will continue to pile up while James fights to beat his cancer and save his lung. James and his family have been overwhelmed with gratitude from everyone's outpouring of love and support while they are faced with these challenges. Any financial support will be gratefully appreciated and extremely helpful in allowing James to continue with the treatments and therapies to give him the best chances of full recovery.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about James and his difficult journey, and on deciding to support James during this very challenging time.
Organizer
Krystyn McFarlane
Organizer
Mississauga, ON
