Hi everyone, I’m Nikala, and I’m starting this GoFundMe on behalf of my beautiful sister Maddy, her husband Tom, and their baby boy Eddie.

For those who don’t know my sister, let me tell you a little bit about what has brought us to this moment.

Maddy is 33 years old, has a promising career as a Brisbane lawyer, is about to celebrate her second wedding anniversary with Tom, is a first-time mum, and is fighting for her life against Stage IV melanoma. She urgently needs access to a promising treatment overseas that could give her more time with her family.

From Joy to Devastation in Just 2 Years

Maddy was a newlywed and excited to start a family, but within days of marrying Tom, we lost our Dad to a rare form of bladder cancer. It was devastating for us all, and during that incredibly difficult time, while our Dad was fighting a short and aggressive battle, Maddy herself was diagnosed with melanoma.

Initially, her cancer was in situ and stable. Upon finding out she was pregnant a year later, the melanoma progressed to Stage III in her groin lymph nodes. Maddy began an immunotherapy that she could receive while pregnant. After four rounds of that therapy, at 27 weeks pregnant, a PET scan showed the cancer had progressed to Stage IV.

Due to the urgency of her condition — as the cancer had spread to her liver, spleen, and bone marrow — baby Eddie was born at just 29 weeks. He spent over 8 weeks in the NICU. Thankfully, he is now thriving (and VERY CUTE — our little Mooey), a bright little fighter just like his mum.

Maddy was transferred to her oncologist’s hospital the day after Eddie was born to begin targeted therapy (Braftovi/Mektovi) in order to get her cancer under control. The plan was to start a dual-immunotherapy (Ipi/Nivo) that she could only receive once Eddie was born.

Her cancer didn’t respond to the immunotherapy. With further progression to the liver, lungs and bones, she restarted the Braftovi/Mektovi targeted tablets again.

These tablets initially slowed the cancer — but after just 8 weeks, they are no longer working. Her liver enzymes are rising again, and the disease is progressing.

The Next Step: TIL Therapy in Israel

Maddy’s medical team has identified another treatment called TIL therapy (Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes) — an advanced form of personalised immunotherapy that uses her own immune system to fight the cancer.

TIL therapy is awaiting TGA approval so it’s not currently available in Australia, but it is offered in Israel, where some of the world’s leading oncologists and melanoma researchers are located. Because of how aggressive Maddy’s melanoma is, and the length of time the treatment itself takes to administer, TIL therapy in Israel is Maddy’s last remaining treatment option, and it’s needed urgently.

Below are a few links to Sheba Medical Centre (the hospital that offers the treatment) and TILs therapy if you are interested in finding out more:

What the Money Will Go Towards:

The approximate cost of TIL therapy in Israel is between $219,000 and $258,000. By comparison, it is approximately $1.5 million in the US.

The total cost of the treatment will ultimately depend upon the kind of surgery required to harvest the T-cells, the number of scans and tests during treatment, and whether intensive or additional care is required post infusion.

I have created this page with the aim of assisting Maddy and Tom with the cost of Maddy’s TIL treatment.

If you are unable to donate money, we would ask that you please donate blood instead, blood donation has been life saving for Maddy over the last 6 months. You can sign up to donate blood at

https://www.lifeblood.com.au/