Update:

Thank you to everyone who has donated to my husband’s GoFundMe. Your generosity and kindness have meant more to us than words could ever express.

It breaks my heart to share that, unfortunately, none of the treatments we’ve tried have been successful, and there are no further viable treatment options available. This has been unimaginably difficult to hear and to try to process. It’s truly devastating.

The GoFundMe will remain open for anyone who still wishes to contribute. Any donations will help cover the costs of palliative care and ensure that Jamie can be kept as comfortable as possible during this time, which is something I simply cannot manage alone on my income.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you again for your support, love, and prayers. We are so deeply grateful.

With love, Chandra

I tried to think of some catchy phrases as a starting point, such as “Get Jamie to old age,” “Help Jamie to live to raise his son,” “Help Jamie resume life with his young family,” etc.. However, all these phrases are apt, and they all apply. The reality is that this family will very soon reach a stage where treatments can only continue if financial assistance is received. Sadly, money does open doors, and a lack thereof closes doors. Money truly makes a difference when you’re fighting to live.

Jamie Ferreira was a healthy and strong 35-year-old who enjoyed a successful career in the hospitality industry. Life was progressing smoothly until he was diagnosed with stage 3C colorectal cancer in March 2024. At the time, his wife was 3 months pregnant.

It started with Jamie having issues with his stomach. It was nothing severe and was attributed to IBS. Over the next month or two, it started bothering him more, leading to appointments with a number of doctors, a scan, and countless medications that didn’t work. Finally, Jamie, though not feeling great, walked into the hospital, kick-starting the journey that no one ever wishes to embark on.

Jamie ended up on a ventilator in the ICU, fighting for his life. He almost died due to sepsis from a perforated colon caused by a large cancerous tumour. Overnight, life changed! Jamie’s diagnosis was completely out of the blue, as there was no family history of cancer, and other than the odd bout of seasonal flu, he had never been ill. Thankfully, and by some miracle, he pulled through.

His first line of treatment involved 8 rounds of chemo over 6 months. During chemo, one could literally see life draining from him, as the effects of chemo are cumulative, so each round is harder than the next. Some symptoms that weren’t expected were an extreme cold sensitivity, where a cold breeze, walking on tiles, or even slightly cold food or water would lead to his throat feeling like it's closing. Along with the extreme fatigue, he was also in constant pain due to nerve damage. This made it impossible for him to work.

The family was also faced with never-ending medical debt, as despite having medical aid, their savings were depleted, and the medical aid didn’t cover any of his chemo treatments.

In September 2024, they celebrated the birth of their son, Oliver James, which is one of the best things that's ever happened to them, and were told that Jamie was cancer-free and in remission. They were finally in a good place after going through what can only be described as months of hell. Jamie was looking forward to resuming his career and restarting his life again.

Almost a month later, Jamie underwent a colostomy closure surgery, which resulted in the discovery of a cancerous lymph node near his small intestine. Then shortly thereafter, an MRI showed three cancerous lesions on his liver. Jamie’s diagnosis changed to stage 4 cancer. During the 2nd round of treatment, a CT Scan revealed that the lesions in his liver had tripled, and many new lesions had formed.

At present, Jamie is now on his 3rd round of chemo. He is still unable to work as this chemo is more intensive, and he is bedridden for long stretches due to the constant sickness and fatigue that it causes. His precious son, Oliver, is now 8 months old.

Despite upgrading his medical plan at the beginning of the year, it does not fully cover all treatments, and there are many treatments that it does not cover at all. Their oncology savings have been depleted, and only money stands in the way of Jamie receiving the treatments he needs, as he will need to be on maintenance chemo for the rest of his life.

Our desperate plea is that if you can help, please do! We will forever be grateful and appreciative.

With gratitude,

Thank you!