Hello! This is Ben McGuerty and Olivia Tai. We’re asking for help as Ben spends the next year in treatment for his recent diagnosis of aggressive brain cancer, Grade 4 Glioblastoma. Since he won’t be able to work, we need assistance with Ben’s costs of living during this trying time. Being ambushed with terminal illness in our late-thirties has been a new and scary experience that left us vulnerable. Our goal is to raise $25k in six weeks, by September 5th, 2023.

So what happened exactly? After months of debilitating headaches, a brain MRI this past April revealed a large growth in Ben's prefrontal cortex that required immediate neurosurgery to remove. He survived the operation and recovered all motor and cognitive functions with his personality and memories intact. Biopsy of the tumor revealed it to be the most malignant form of astrocytoma, which is an abnormal growth originating from astrocytes in the central nervous system. Since that diagnosis, Ben has undergone his first round of radiation and chemotherapy. If the tumor doesn't regrow over the summer, he is looking at minimum another year of chemo with the possibility of additional radiation should something show up during his regularly scheduled MRIs.

Shortly after Ben was discharged from the hospital post-surgery, we got engaged! With so much loss this past spring and more uncertainty to come, deciding to get married was one bright thing we could do for ourselves. We’re celebrating as much as we can during the summer while Ben is on break between treatments, because the reality is that patients diagnosed with glioblastoma survive for a median of 15 months even with treatment. We obviously hope that Ben will have more time than that, but there is no guarantee. This is why any gift will help us rebuild the life we had together. And, hopefully, give us a chance to start building a future as well. Donations will primarily be used to get us through this upcoming year’s living expenses. Any leftover funds will go towards our wedding.

[From Ben] As much as I’m the one physically experiencing cancer, Olivia is experiencing something just as traumatizing and harrowing as she cares for the person she loves and gets subjected to all the fears and tribulations of my illness. Knowing that my minimum costs of living are taken care of will relieve some of the strain and pressure off her, while she grapples with the added apprehension of preparing for my passing and the devastation of that potential outcome. Were it not for her loving care and support while I was becoming more and more affected by the growing mass in my head, it would’ve likely remained undetected and taken my life. Without exaggeration, Olivia saved my life.

[From Ben & Olivia] It really can’t be overstated how incredibly grateful we are for all the help and support we’ve received. When you’re facing something this terrible, every act of kindness makes it so much easier to take a breath and get back on our feet for a moment. Cancer is indifferent and relentless and all-consuming, but the generosity, empathy, and love that has arisen out of these tragic circumstances resoundingly emphasize that we are not alone. Having loved ones we can rely on has made the ordeal bearable, and makes Ben's eventual recovery from treatment possible. Please, if you can help us in any way — whether it is through a gift, or even just passing on our story to other people who may be able to help — it is a beautiful thing.

Left, 2007 - When we started dating at Cornell

Right, 2023 - Back on campus, looking out from McGraw clocktower

BUDGET

Based on Buffalo's costs of living:

Numbeo's Cost of Living Plus Rent Index

Costs of living, comparison:

Buffalo, NY $2,605.10/mo x 12 = $31,261.20/yr

Los Angeles, CA $3,333.33/mo x 12 = $40,000/yr

LA to Buffalo => 27.95% reduction

Rent $1500/mo x 12 = $18,000

Utilities $325/mo x 12 = $3900

Transportation $100/mo x 12 = $1200

Storage unit $168/mo x 12 = $2016

Total = $25,116

Income:

Social Security Disability Insurance $1135/mo x 12 = $13,620

(starts October 2023, six months delay)

$283.75/wk covers:

Food $150/wk

Gym $10/wk

Entertainment $50/wk

Household items $43/wk

Incidentals $30/wk

Comparison of Ben's MRIs.

Right-most scan: tumor identified as white mass.

Size of growth = approximately a baseball, 7 x 8 cm. Smaller than a naval but larger than a nectarine, according to Ben’s radiation oncologist.

We were originally planning to launch on National Glioblastoma Awareness Day (July 17, 2023) but that was also National Hot Dog Day. We’re already in an uphill fight. We don’t need to fight hot dogs.

So let’s just say that launch day today is Ben’s National Glioblastoma Awareness Day. Yay!

Video on the Glioblastoma experience,

by the National Brain Tumor Society.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive type of tumor that arises in the brain. It is one of the most lethal forms of brain cancer. The current standard of care (consisting of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy) is ineffective, and the median survival of a person diagnosed with GBM is about 15 months; without treatment, it is a paltry 3-6 months. Although radiation and chemotherapy prolong life, they greatly reduce quality of life — so much so, in fact, that some patients opt out of treatment. These tumors almost always regrow, but usually in the same area of the brain. It invades the nearby brain tissue, but generally does not spread to distant organs.

Glioblastomas can be difficult to treat for the following reasons:

Because of this, GBM patients haven’t benefited from the major advances made over the last 20 years to treat other cancers. The five-year survival rate is only 6.9%. Survival rates and mortality statistics for GBM have been virtually unchanged for decades.

More GBM info, by the American Brain Tumor Association.

Thank you for even considering making a gift! You are so appreciated.