Hi everyone, I’m Aidan.

I just turned 16, and about a month ago, my life completely flipped upside down. I was diagnosed with a very rare type of cancer called clival chordoma.

Right now, I have a tumour about the size of a tennis ball sitting at the base of my brain, right behind my eyes and nose. It’s wrapped around the major arteries and nerves that connect my brain to the rest of my body. If it’s left untreated, it will keep growing and cause permanent, life-threatening damage.

For weeks now, I’ve been dealing with excruciating headaches that have completely stopped me from doing the things I love. Before this happened, I was just a regular teenager. I was completing Year 10 at trade school, working out at the gym, and hanging out with my mates. I had a part-time job, had just gotten my Learner’s permit, and was excited to start driving and land an apprenticeship. Now, all of that is on hold.

Why We Need to Travel to the USA

My cancer is incredibly rare—it affects less than one in a million people. The cancer needs to be completely removed to give me the best shot at long-term survival. If even a little bit is left behind, it will almost certainly grow back and spread.

Unfortunately, because it's so rare and quite a large size the medical teams here in Brisbane aren't confident they can safely remove the whole tumour without damaging critical structures like my optic nerves and arteries.

Because of this, my family and I have made the massive decision to travel to the United States, where the leading experts in chordoma research and treatment are based.

My Best Shot at a Future

I feel incredibly lucky that I’ve been accepted for treatment by Dr. Fernandez-Miranda (or Dr. JFM, as he likes to be called). He is a world-renowned neurosurgeon at Stanford Hospital who specializes in skull base tumours just like mine. Because he has so much experience with cases like this, he has a much better chance of successfully removing the entire tumour while protecting my surrounding brain tissue.

I’m only 16, and I have so much life left to live. Getting this surgery in the States is my absolute best chance at surviving this and getting back to my normal life with minimal long-term impacts.

How You Can Help

Because this treatment is overseas, it isn't covered by Australian health insurance or Medicare. My family has to self-fund the medical bill, travel, and accommodation ourselves.

Down the road, I will also need to follow up this surgery with radiation, but right now, we are just focusing on this first step.

Any donation, no matter how small, will take a massive weight off my family's shoulders as we fight to get my future back. If you aren't able to donate, even just sharing this page with your friends and family would mean the world to us.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting me.

Cheers,

Aidan