Help and Hope for Jon McMillan
Donation protected
We are writing to ask for your help in supporting our friend Jon McMillan.
In November of 2018 Jon was diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, an aggressive and potentially terminal form of cancer. The cause of this cancer is a exposure to asbestos (Jon worked with an asbestos abatement company in the early 80s). Following 6 rounds of chemotherapy Jon’s doctors determined that traditional chemo was not effective at shrinking the tumours. Jon’s oncologist recommended that he apply for a clinical trial at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland as this was his “only hope” for treatment. Fortunately Jon was accepted in to an immunotherapy trial at the National Institute of Health in Maryland that began this past July.
While the government funded NIH is paying for the clinical trial, Jon and his wife Mary are having to cover additional healthcare, travel and accommodation costs associated with treatments and the monthly, cross-continental flights to Bethesda.
Jon was reluctant to reach out for financial support but Shelagh Mulhall Holmes and I convinced him that many of you would want to help financially and those who were not able to assist with a donation would certainly want to reach out with words of support. We are hoping that this Go Fund Me will ease some of the financial burden for Jon and his family.
The early indications from Jon’s medical team is that the immunotherapy trial is having some positive impact. Those of you who know Jon know of his kind, caring and positive nature. We know for certain that your words of support will mean so much to Jon as he battles this cancer miles away from home.
With hope (and huge thank yous!)
Cindy Harrison and Shelagh Mulhall Holmes
In November of 2018 Jon was diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, an aggressive and potentially terminal form of cancer. The cause of this cancer is a exposure to asbestos (Jon worked with an asbestos abatement company in the early 80s). Following 6 rounds of chemotherapy Jon’s doctors determined that traditional chemo was not effective at shrinking the tumours. Jon’s oncologist recommended that he apply for a clinical trial at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland as this was his “only hope” for treatment. Fortunately Jon was accepted in to an immunotherapy trial at the National Institute of Health in Maryland that began this past July.
While the government funded NIH is paying for the clinical trial, Jon and his wife Mary are having to cover additional healthcare, travel and accommodation costs associated with treatments and the monthly, cross-continental flights to Bethesda.
Jon was reluctant to reach out for financial support but Shelagh Mulhall Holmes and I convinced him that many of you would want to help financially and those who were not able to assist with a donation would certainly want to reach out with words of support. We are hoping that this Go Fund Me will ease some of the financial burden for Jon and his family.
The early indications from Jon’s medical team is that the immunotherapy trial is having some positive impact. Those of you who know Jon know of his kind, caring and positive nature. We know for certain that your words of support will mean so much to Jon as he battles this cancer miles away from home.
With hope (and huge thank yous!)
Cindy Harrison and Shelagh Mulhall Holmes
Co-organizers (2)
Cindy Harrison
Organizer
Ottawa, ON
Jon McMillan
Beneficiary
Shelagh Mulhall Holmes
Co-organizer