Chasing Peanut's Cure A Fight for Josh's life

Hi, This is my cousin Josh Parsons.  His godfather (my dad) gave him the nickname Peanut head (Peanut for short), the day he was born and it has stuck with him for 26 years. Josh has always been an outstanding person. He is the highlight of his mom and dad’s life, Grandma’s pride and joy, and a best friend to his brothers and sisters. He brings joy and laughter to everyone lucky enough to know him. In high school, Josh kept himself busy as a fire explorer with the Merrimack fire department.  At 18 years old after graduating high school Josh decided to enlist in the National Guard where he became part of Charlie Company 1/72nd infantry. 

 At 19 years old his testicle began swelling to almost the size of a grapefruit. His doctor diagnosed him with hydrocele (a fluid-filled sac around the testicle) and proceeded to drain it several times.  2 years later the pain was worse and the swelling kept coming back. This is when he found out he was misdiagnosed for the past two years. The swelling kept coming back because it was actually a tumor. He had Rhabdomyosarcoma (a pediatric cancer that is so rare to find in adults that doctors don’t really know how to treat it). By this time the cancer had spread throughout his entire body.  At 21 years old, my baby cousin began the fight for his life, but he did not go through it alone. During this time Josh met Brianna who quickly became his best friend, greatest supporter and the love of his life.

Josh was medically discharged from the army and began his 5+year battle with cancer.  Years of surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, experimental pills gave him a couple periods of remission that only lasted 2-3 months and once for 6months. Each time the cancer came back worse than the last. He started a pediatric trial in October of 2017 that made him sicker than ever, severe nausea and vomiting filled his days and the treatment made his cancer breakup and spread.  He was very sick and weak. He went from 170lbs to 110lbs.  Josh continued on and never gave up hope. He started a new chemotherapy in January 2018. This chemotherapy cleared most of the cancer and has been being maintained with some small tumor that were not growing but not gone.

At 26 years old, Josh decided it was time to propose to Brianna. Due to the financial burden they have been under, they decided to get married with just a couple of close friends there as witnesses. On September 1, 2018 Josh and Brianna got married in a ceremony performed by their friend as a Justice of the Peace.

On November 27th 2018 Josh and his new wife were told the treatment is no longer working. His PET scan revealed a tumor in his groin has doubled in size over 3months. They told him it is pointless to continue the regimen anymore and without treatment he may only have a few months to a year to live.  

I am asking for help. The financial burden has taken its toll. Brianna is working countless hours to try to keep up the day to day bills and Josh is so sick and in too much pain, any activity is exhausting. There is hope in an experimental treatment that is very expensive that insurance will not cover. The evidence is promising and gives us great hope. My cousin has a lot of life left to live, please help us make that happen. No amount is to small, and all will be greatly appreciated with all of our hearts.