Chris Cameron

She was 11 and he 12 when my dad moved us in next door. They both were smitten from day one. Any excuse to come over and visit, or work in the yard to catch a glimpse of each other was jumped upon. For 9-year-old me, this was beyond annoying, but now I look back and think how lucky they were to meet each other so early and know right away. Unfortunately, youth was their obstacle and they both went their own ways, never fully losing contact, but moving on with life.

Finally, one day the universe decided it was time to bring them back together, and on April 1, 2010, they went on their "first" date. Jump ahead a few years and they now have a ridiculously adorable 8-year-old named Cruz, Chris is a rockstar stepdad to Isabella and Connor, and they are making cynics like me believe true love does exist.

On May 4, 2022, my sister and her family were rocked to their core. Chris was admitted to UC Davis hospital with COVID and a biliary obstruction, and 7 days later my sister was tasked to deliver the devastating news that Chris had bile duct cancer.  In an instant, their whole world changed forever. After spending almost a month at UC Davis, enduring multiple procedures trying to get him stable, it was decided a liver transplant was his best chance of survival. They consulted with a doctor in St Louis and persuaded her to take a look at their case.   

Chris was discharged Thursday, June 2, and by Saturday, June 4th, 9:30 am they were on a plane to St Louis Mo for a liver transplant evaluation at Barnes Jewish Hospital.  The evaluation appointments began the following Monday.

Chris and Gwen spent the next 2 weeks in St Louis. The first 10 days consisted of non-stop testing and Dr evaluations and on the last day, there was laparoscopic surgery, the final step to clear Chris for the transplant list. He had cleared the bone scans, PET scans, anesthesia consult, abdominal CT, whole body CT scan, chest and brain CTs, blood work-ups, and a dozen or more meetings and appts. This was the last step.  20 minutes in the actual stomach. In and out. Only it didn't turn out to be that simple. The doctors found 2 tiny spots inside his stomach lining. The cancer has metastasized. Chris was no longer a liver transplant candidate, nor a candidate for a partial liver resection to try and remove the cancer. Chris got a formal diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic hilar cholangiocarcinoma. He was given a prognosis of approximately one year to live.

After arriving back in Sacramento, Chris had his first appointment with his oncologist Dr. Kim. The plan was for Chris to start a chemo/radiation treatment as soon as possible, 2 weeks on and 1 week off, but when they arrived at the appointment, the doctor informed them that Chris had a particularly good genetic marker that would allow access to immunotherapy treatments. This was a  promising development for a stronger prognosis. They won't know for several months how successful the immunotherapy will be, but for now, Chris will be forgoing the chemotherapy and radiation at the recommendation of his Dr., and just begin immunotherapy.

This is where you come in. Asking for help is never easy, but neither of them have been able to work as Chris is too ill and Guinevere is raising the kids and his full-time caregiver. In addition, Chris is the primary financial contributor to the family and his loss of income greatly impacts their lives. While insurance is covering much of the medical costs for now, the travel and medical bills already amassed are overwhelming. In addition, there are medical supplies, and some care not fully covered by insurance. The treatments will last as long as Chris survives. The funds also help to create a stress free environment where they can enjoy each other as a family making memories. I know this is a big ask, but this family is heartbroken and this diagnosis devastating. The obstacles in front of them are insurmountable. So I’m humbly asking you to help my family.

Updates will be posted here but please follow  https://www.caringbridge.org/public/chriscamcameron for more up to date information.