Help Jason Colonna Access Life-Saving Treatment

October 21, 2020, at 3:45 pm, I was diagnosed with Ependymoma, which is a form of brain cancer. Over the course of 3 1/2 years, I have been undergoing a phenomenal new test treatment called Ultra Sonic Wave Therapy, which reduced my golf ball-sized tumor down to the size of a quarter. This treatment has very few adverse effects compared to traditional chemotherapy and radiation sessions.

Being a test procedure, my insurance does not cover this. My doctors and their sponsors were generous enough to cover 97.9%, making my out-of-pocket expense $4,500 every three months for a yearly total of $18,000 for the past three years. Unfortunately, in February 2024, Rocket Mortgage accelerated my ten months of COVID forbearance plus January and February payments. This put me 12 months behind on paper, and they were attempting to foreclose. Their actions made me choose between the treatments or the $2,500/month mortgage from March-August - I chose the house. Fortunately, in a change of heart, Rocket Mortgage reversed everything back to normal in the middle of March.

With the foundation now reset, I went on a five-state journey looking for qualified programs for me to enroll in. My most recent check-up, 220+ days AFTER my last treatment, showed the tumor has increased in size by 15%, pushing me into Stage 3 Ependymoma. The best thing out of this is that I now qualify for treatment here in Jacksonville, Florida.

This program is more aggressive, being Stage 3 treatment. I now have three sessions each week, all in one day. Each session costs $5,000 plus the lab work, x-rays, EKG, and CAT scans, in addition to the costs to my cardiologist, oncologist, and neurologist. This brings the weekly total to $28,000, or $112,000 a month, or $1,344,000 a year.

This is a different group of doctors, however, and not so generous with the financial obligations. With this being a pre-existing condition, my health insurance will not cover this "test" program. I am stuck and need some help. My doctors' fiscal year starts December 1, 2024; at that time, I can apply for grants and additional funding from this non-profit organization, plus apply for assistance from the Leukemia Foundation and the local chapter of the National Cancer Society for relief on these piled-up medical bills.

Please help, any amount goes a long way. I also request that you push this in front of everyone you know. I appreciate any help you may offer. There is no Donation too small, there is no judgement on the amount, even a DOLLAR is significant.

Thank you for taking part of your valuable time to read this and passing the link to EVERYONE you know. I'm counting on your help, no matter how insignificant you think it might be.

With love,

Jason R. Colonna