Brandon John Baker is a 41 year-old energetic and active outdoorsman. Residing in Squamish, BC, he has a passion for skiing, hiking, and mountain biking.

In February 2022, Brandon was diagnosed with a rare soft tissue sarcoma after discovering a rapidly growing small lump in his groin. In June 2022, he was operated on. At this point, the tumor had covered most of his right thigh. Plus, Brandon’s femoral nerve was wrapped in the tumor and had to be removed as well, which limited his use of his right leg. Requiring an extensive leg brace made Brandon’s recovery slow; he had to endure two infections and subsequent bouts of antibiotics to get the infections under control. Then, his five weeks of radiation treatments began.

By November 2022, Brandon was feeling strong enough to go back to his job driving heavy equipment at Whistler Excavating. But he began having difficulty breathing, which led to lung scans that revealed that the sarcoma had metastasized to his lungs in the form of two tumors. By now, he’d been unable to work for a year, and the bills were piling up.

For his best shot at survival, he was advised to begin chemotherapy and immunotherapy immediately. The chemotherapy would be covered under health insurance, but the drug Pembrolizumab — also known as Keytruda — would not. Even though the drug has been approved and covered for many other types of cancers, it would not be covered for Brandon’s rare form of sarcoma. The treatments will cost $10,266.43 every three weeks for an undetermined amount of time; estimates have ranged from five months to two years.

To help Brandon fight and heal from Cancer, please consider making a donation. Donations will go towards the Pembrolizumab treatments ($10,266.43 each for up to two years) and living expenses while he’s recovering.

Brandon and his family greatly appreciate the support, and thank those who are helping them navigate this challenging time.