"Hope for Wayne" - Stage 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme
Donation protected
Wed, February 21 * FINAL UPDATE *
It’s with complete sadness that we have to announce the passing of our dad at the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital on Monday, February 19.
Dad had an extremely aggressive decline following his second surgery and we are devastated that we were unable to get him the treatment we fought so hard for.
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Sun, January 28 * GENERAL UPDATE *
It’s been a while since my last update…
The good news - mom and dad’s call with the UK regarding the vaccine went very well. And, under normal circumstances, they could make the trip and hope for a successful outcome. However, in the last month, dad has encountered a handful of ups and downs - some related to his glioblastoma and some not.
Between recovering from surgery, on top of a few infections and some additional health matters, dad’s mobility has been slightly limited so recovery is key before embarking on his journey to the UK.
Dad is still in the Grande Prairie hospital and will continue working at getting stronger.
We plan to have all logistics in place and pursue travel in early March, if we have some good improvement.
I will be sure to update more on his general health at that time.
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Thurs, Dec 21 * UPDATE *
Just checking in to let everyone know that dad is okay and still recovering in the U of A hospital. Although he should be back home in GP by this point he’s fighting a bit of an infection but recent CT Scans have shown no change and no swelling in his brain so we are thrilled about that.
Once a bed comes open in GP dad will be home and doing extensive physio. For now, it’s very likely that he will remain in Edmonton over the Christmas weekend and, as much as we would like him home, it’s the best place he can be.
Positive news on the DCVax….
Mom and dad have a virtual consult scheduled with the doctors in the UK on January 4, 2024. This meeting will run through the next steps of getting his tumours safely shipped as well as discussing the logistics of the procedure in more depth.
Following that Jan 4 meeting I will post a more in depth update on a timeline for his travel.
Thank you again to everyone who has reached out and/or contributed. From our family to yours, have a safe and relaxing Christmas.
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Thurs, Dec 14 * SURGERY DAY UPDATE *
Dad had surgery this morning at 7:30am and is now in neuro recovery. So far, he is able to move all limbs, he’s talking, we aren’t certain of his visibility but he was able to look at mom and responded to her well. Most importantly, he remembers all of his family. Huge sigh of relief.
Although we aren’t in the clear of complications, we are extremely happy with this immediate outcome and look forward to hearing from his neurosurgeon later today or tomorrow just to confirm how much tumor tissue they were able to extract and what the future healing process looks like.
Regarding dads chances of being a candidate for the DCVax…
Pathology was able to properly prepare, freeze and store what looks to be a viable amount of tumor tissue in order for dad to move forward with the procedure.
** WE STILL HAVE SOME SUBSTANTIAL HURDLES TO OVERCOME BEFORE THEY WILL APPROVE HIM for the procedure and confirm that he can travel **
Having said all of this, we are forever grateful to the neurology team here in Edmonton and we still have our dad with us mentally and physically.
We can rest easy, for today. I will continue to update this page as well as my personal Facebook page for those supporting and following our journey.
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BELOW - ORIGINAL STORY
May 2023 changed the course of our family forever. Our dad, Wayne Redlick, was diagnosed with a very aggressive brain cancer known as Stage 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme.
June 8, dad underwent emergency brain surgery at the UofA Hospital in Edmonton where 100% of the tumour was removed. Following a short recovery, dad was put into what the medical system refers to as “standard of care” whereby he received 6 weeks of chemoradiation (35 treatments in total) which was to be followed by 6 cycles of chemotherapy over the course of 6 months.
September 22, dad began chemotherapy and was able to make it through his first 2 cycles. Unfortunately he was unable to continue as his health began to quickly decline.
Late September until the end of November, our family encountered many emergency hospital visits (from home via ambulance) until dad was finally admitted into the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital on Monday, November 27 where he remains today. His decline came with getting weaker each day, eating and drinking less, very unstable on his feet and finally unable to walk and barely lift his arms and legs.
During this time, multiple CT Scans and MRI’s were performed showing a significant amount of brain swelling in the surgical cavity, however, inconclusive as to what was causing the swelling.
Wednesday, November 29, dad was air-ambulanced to the U of A Hospital where he had a PET Scan which determined that 2 new tumours were regrowing. Dad’s oncologist and neurosurgeon determined that operating again is necessary BUT it will not stop the cancer from continuing to grow aggressively and quickly.
Wednesday, December 13 dad is scheduled for surgery again at the UofA Hospital in Edmonton.
There is a very high probability that in this surgery some of the tumour(s) tissue will remain and will continue to spread. This leads us to our next and most likely hope of prolonging dad’s time with us…
The neurosurgeon will remove enough of the tumour(s) to proceed with a successfully proven immunotherapy treatment offered ONLY in the United Kingdom, known as Dendritic Call Vaccination or DCVax-L. DC-Vax-L is a personalized vaccine which is produced using the individuals tumour tissue. The treatment has shown good results in a recent Phase III trial.
How do we get this immunotherapy treatment?
Thanks to a lot of searching and inquiries, our family came to learn about this treatment.
Unfortunately, though, it is not available in Canada. But it is widely known and encouraged by many Canadian investigators and the medical team members working with dad, including his neurosurgeon. They firmly believe that this is the only treatment that could help him at this point. We know of a gentleman, first hand, in Edmonton that is alive 8 years later as a result of the DCVax. He is only one of many success stories. Saying that, our family has made the decision to move forward with this procedure.
Following his upcoming surgery, dad will have a minimal amount of recovery time in Edmonton before he is on his way to the United Kingdom where they will manufacture this vaccine specifically to his cancerous cells. The challenges that will come with getting dad across the world are very time sensitive but our family will take this on, without question.
Why are we asking for help?
- Each vaccine dosage costs $36,600 CA ($25,000 EUR)
- A minimum of 7 doses over 12 months are required to complete this treatment.
- All vaccines are administered in the United Kingdom
- Total medical cost alone will amount to $256,000 CA ($175,000 EUR)
If you know our dad, you will know that putting his family and good friends above himself has always been his way - it’s our time, as his family, to return that favour to him. Sadly, our family has walked this journey into Glioblastoma for 7 months, however we didn’t have an understanding of how aggressive this cancer is until now.
If your family has been touched by this cancer and is looking for alternatives, see these links.
To learn more about Dad’s cancer - Stage 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme (Brain Cancer):
To learn more about the DCVax, link to this medical journal publication with details: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2798847?=1
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank each of you for any help you can give.
Fundraising team (2)
Mikki Lawrance
Organizer
Alberta
Marg Redlick
Beneficiary
Bryan Redlick
Team member