Help Reub beat brain cancer

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This time last year, my husband Reuben, our 2 year old son Zeph, and our families were still buzzing  with excitement over the birth of our daughter Delilah. We would never ever have imagined how drastically our happy lives were about to change within the year to come...

Reub, only 31 years old, a loving family man and the epitome of health and strength, with an irresistible zest for life is the last person one would imagine would be diagnosed with cancer, let alone a rare aggressive one. On the 8th of March, this year, Reub took to the local beach to fly his paraglider. Once he landed, while walking up the sand dune he collapsed and suffered a massive seizure. That evening, from what we suspected may have been a bleed on the brain, turned out to be a tennis ball size brain tumour in his right frontal lobe. The Doctors suspected it was benign and had been there for years.

An anxious week of tests later, Reuben underwent a craniotomy to remove as much of the tumour as possible. They managed to remove 95%.

Two weeks later, we received the histopathology which revealed it contained stage IV Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive kind of brain cancer with a lousy survival rate of 3-12 months, only 5% of cases reaching 5 years. This type of brain cancer affects 1-5 people in every 100 000. We were told he was just ‘unlucky’.

Reub never complaining underwent 6 weeks of high doses of radiation to his brain, and endured 6 months of chemotherapy with it. Prior to this Reub didn’t even have a regular GP.

In August, after suffering excruciating headaches and vomiting, Reub went to Canberra hospital (our current home) and had to undergo an emergency craniotomy to remove large amounts of tumour regrowth, we were told he could have only had weeks to live without having the surgery.

With the aid of a newly available dye, the Canberra surgeons managed to removed over 98% of the tumour, with no evidence of residual, but no guarantees.

Since August, Reuben has been undergoing another type of gruelling chemotherapy, and his current MRI revealed his disease is 'stable’, a fragile state at the best of times.

However Reub is and always has been an exception to the rule, and we ask for your support in helping us ensure this. His family have done exhaustive amounts of research to find ground breaking treatment therapies in Australia and overseas. Australia has limited options for this rare cancer type and Brain cancer in general. We are exploring private sector treatment after exhausting that which is available under the public health system.

Specifically, depending on the latest test results of the tumour which alone cost $8,500, we will be seeking ground breaking targeted immunotherapy, or a new type of growth inhibitor medication. These are only available in Japan, America or China, with starting costs of $20,000 minimum for one treatment alone. We are unsure of how much the bill will come to at this stage but can’t imagine it would be any less than $50,000.

This year has brought immense trauma, pain and uncertainty on top of the chaos that is raising two active toddlers.  Miraculously, Reub is still his unique wonderful self and without deficits. We are unwaiveringly hopeful, and will go to any length to ensure Zeph and Delilah grow up to know their absolutely incredible father.

We know Christmas can be a tough time for people, and we truly appreciate everyone who has offered to help us so far, this is how you can.

Thank you.

We love you Reub xxx

#Reubstrong