Help James catch a break in his fight against cancer

Our dear and talented friend James Cumberland could use a little support with some major health issues he has faced recently.

In October, James received the hard news that he has stage 4 kidney cancer and has quietly and stoically begun treatment. Recently other serious complications have arisen as well. We are starting this fundraising campaign to hopefully ease the financial strain already incurred and provide a cushion for unforeseen cost ahead.

Many of you reading this may be connected to James through his tattooing—perhaps having the good fortune to get one or many of his flawless designs. Or maybe like me you’ve traded tattoos with him, been lucky to work alongside him in the US or internationally, and called him “friend” for 20 years. Many have celebrated with him during his annual Turducken Fest (always perfectly cooked), marveled at his Robot Friends paintings (all his artwork honestly), enjoyed an impromptu dance party, or cheered on his favorite soccer team with him. Maybe you’ve had a long conversation about music or video games or Marvel superheroes, or heard about his many sweet dog rescues over the years—his sweet beagles and a pittie named Elsa.

Please read on if you wish to understand more of what he’s been up against.

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HEALTH DETAILS (Oct 2024 - Jan 2025)

In late October of 2024, James was admitted to the ER with extreme kidney pain and bleeding. After stabilizing and receiving care for his immediate condition, and numerous tests and scans later, doctors found that he has renal cancer (formally “clear-cell renal cell carcinoma”). Initial tests showed tumors on both kidneys, further tests found that it has metastasized to his lungs as well, making it stage 4.

While this news has been incredibly hard, James immediately began treatment in late November. This kind of cancer only responds to immunotherapy, not chemotherapy. While immunotherapy is intense in its own right, it typically carries fewer side effects than chemo, which we’re grateful for.

He was scheduled to get 4 rounds of treatment before his oncologist could do a new set of CT scans and evaluate his progress. After undergoing 2 of the 4 initial treatments, James had a major setback.

In early January he was rushed to the ER again, this time for extreme abdominal pain. Doctors discovered significant internal bleeding and swelling, which resulted in the removal of his spleen. We are still unsure if this was a result of the immunotherapy, the cancer itself, or something completely unrelated. On January 5, barely 24 hours into surgery recovery and just before he was going to move out of the ICU, James went into cardiac arrest. His heart had stopped. The swiftness in which the nurses and doctors reacted was immediate, applying CPR, chest compressions and defibrillation. Intubation was necessary, and James was put in a medically induced coma for a short period. We are extremely grateful for the doctors and nurses who responded in that situation, and everyone who cared for him over the 2 weeks he remained in the hospital.

CURRENTLY

While James has been recovering from this recent ordeal, his cancer treatments have been put on hold. He has an upcoming appointment with a cardio-oncologist to ensure there are no underlying conditions that would prevent him continuing immunotherapy. James is now closer to Tony Stark status with his newly installed ICD (internal defibrillator) that will help prevent future arrhythmias. We are hopeful he gets the green light to continue treatment soon, and anxiously await news on the impact on his cancer.

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I had hoped to keep this brief, but I don’t think I can quickly sum up what James has been through in the last few months or numerous appointments that are ahead of him. His determination to carry on with treatments while causing as little disruption to those he loves, not to mention his pure lack of complaining in all he has endured, shouldn’t be glossed over either.

We’ve set up this funding campaign to help ease the financial burden of fighting stage 4 cancer, and the unforeseen costs associated with it. Ultimately James plans to continue to support himself by doing the work he loves, while spending time with his friends and his incredible partner and their sweet dog Molly. We want James to be able to rest and recover comfortably, and it is with our sincerest hopes he eventually beats this cancer in its entirety or at the very least into submission. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for any help, support or contribution you can make! Please share and help spread the love.

With endless gratitude,

Katie and Fred Pinckard

https://www.salvationgallery.com