Help Jasmine Win Her Fight Against Cancer

In early 2019, Jasmine was diagnosed with Stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney Cancer with Mets to the bones and Lymph Nodes). Most individuals diagnosed with kidney cancer don’t present symptoms until the cancer has spread and unfortunately, this was the case for Jasmine. October marked the year anniversary of the appointment Jasmine made to figure out what to do with what she believed was a pulled muscle in her hip. Up until this point, she was extremely active in every aspect of her life. The diagnosis she received following that first appointment was a shock to Jasmine and everyone around her.

If you don’t know Jasmine, let’s take a minute to introduce you to this incredible mama of four. Her 11-year-old twins, 9 and 6-year-old keep her on her toes; although she makes running in four different directions at once look like a total breeze. It is clear that Jasmine was put on this earth to be a mom. She is so proud to play this role to her four children, and she puts every ounce she has into them from the minute they’re up in the morning, until they’re down for the night. Even on her hardest days, you’ll find her face in the crowd at hockey games and swimming practices. Her babies know their momma is behind them 100 per cent.


Jasmine is a very social person with an amazing outlook on life. She genuinely loves people and brings out the absolute best in everyone she meets. This unexpected journey has taken a lot from her but she still manages to fill a room with her smile and contagious laugh.

Jasmine is blessed with an amazing family and a rock of a husband. It isn’t easy for them to see her endure the challenges that have come her way but no one knows how to lighten the mood better than Jasmine. When the moments get heavy, she quickly finds a way to put a smile on everyone’s face.

A lot has happened since that first appointment in the fall of 2018. The difficulties she experienced with her hip earlier that year led to her diagnosis. Numerous scans led to the discovery that her hip had deteriorated to the point that she needed to have a hip replacement, which she had in 2019. She was also treated with 10 rounds of radiation to help combat the pain. This was strictly for palliative reasons, as this particular cancer does not respond to radiation. As a result Jasmine now experiences compression of her vertebrae. Jasmine had started her first treatment of Sunitinib which is a Targeted Therapy just prior to her hip replacement. Unfortunately, this treatment came with many side effects that made her extremely sick. As a result, her doctors decided to try an Immunotherapy mix called Nivolumab and Ipilimumab after her hip surgery. Jasmine received this combination for five months with manageable side effects. She was able to enjoy spending time with her family and friends and considering all the recent studies, things looked promising.

Jasmine received the results of her treatment in October 2019. The results confirmed her greatest fear, the Immunotherapy was not successful. During the five-month period the tumors grew by over 50 per cent in size and she developed several new ones. She also found out that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.

Knowing that the treatment was not effective, her oncologist switched to a different Targeted Therapy called Pazopanib. Within two weeks Jasmine was hospitalized with severe side effects and promptly taken off treatment. She remained in hospital for an additional 12 days to stabilize her condition. Her doctors were forced back to the drawing board to come up with a plan to slow the tumor growth. Jasmine is now on the original Targeted Therapy, Sunitinib. She is hopeful that the side effects will be manageable knowing that Pazopanib is no longer an option.

As time and options both appear to be running out, the search for second opinions and other treatments has become critical. There are a few treatment centres, both near and far, that use other methods to destroy tumours. A second opinion, available through the mayo clinic that may also provide a different treatment plan. Also exploring options that have the potential to reduce the intensity of the side effects from the targeted therapy. The goal of this fund is to assist Jasmine and her family with costs associated with getting a second opinion and costs associated with exploring other treatment options. It is also our hope that this will help support any travel and accommodations needed once a new treatment plan is in place.

Jasmine is as stubborn as they come – and we all know, without question, she is not giving up! And neither is the fierce support network she has around her. The fight is on…

Thank you to each and every person who has shown Jasmine and her family love and kindness during this challenging time. You make them stronger, and the daily battles for courage and hope easier.

We are all so very grateful for your generosity. Any amount given, no matter the size, will help Jasmine navigate the journey ahead.

If you would like to follow along with Jasmine on her Journey, we welcome you to her Journal https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jasmineozmun