Jamie's Hope 2017 Bucket List
IMPORTANT CHANGE TO THE FUNDRAISER:
This was originally a medical fundraiser for Jamie, but we recently ran into a very big set-back, one that has changed everything for us. The clinic we had planned to use for his stem cell therapy was in a court battle with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) here in the US. Recently, a county judge where the clinic is located sided with the FDA about their claims that there is no proof that SCT can heal things (I'll admit there are some far out claims about it curing cancer, which I myself am dubious of that claim, but other claims are very much backed up with peer-reviewed scientific studies, but that's besides the point right now), and that under FDA definition, a patient's own stem cells are classed as a "drug" and therefore fall under FDA regulations. This lead to the county judge issuing an injunction against the clinic, preventing them from providing further SCT treatments and ordering them to destroy all stem cells in their possession within 30 days. We thankfully hadn't started anything with the clinic nor do we have any cells banked there, but the gist of what this means is that the FDA can use this as precedence to shut down any stem cell clinic that "doesn't meet FDA standards" even if they meet health and safety standards. This means we would need to start our search all over again, from finding clinics to vetting them and figuring prices, etc. and after 2 years of trying to raise the money for this one, the prospect of having to start that all over again just kind of...broke us, emotionally. We have fought hard to keep our hope for this treatment alive for so long, and we just don't have it in us to keep it going from the start all over again.
HOWEVER! This is not the end of this fundraiser! Jamie and I discussed it, and we decided we would instead turn it into a bucket list fundraiser. We feel this is a better use of Jamie's remaining time - raising some money and traveling to places he has always wanted to see. Below, I will list some approximate prices of the trips he would like to take (keep in mind these are subject to price changes depending on when we are able to actually take the trips). Below that list, you can read the original story of Jamie and his struggle with Type 1 Diabetes and its complications that affect his life so much every day. All the costs listed below assume that both he and I are flying out from England (where he lives) together (I'm currently in the US), and include airfare for both of us, hotel accommodations, and spending money for food, souvenirs, and public transport where necessary.
Jamie's Bucket List:
Japan - preferably during the Sakura Blossom Festival, which is best seen in late March and early April; also, as huge anime nerds, we definitely want to hit up the Akihibara district if possible, as it is a major hub for all things anime and technology. ~$3,400
Amsterdam - because, who doesn't want to see Amsterdam? :) ~$1000
Sweden - to visit some friends we have there, and possible Copenhagen just across the water from Malmo, where our friends are. ~ $1500
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada - to see the Northern Lights and visit a friend who lives there. ~$2400 (potentially slightly more if we rent a car while in Canada, since I'll be able to drive while there)
Seattle, Washington - He would like to see Seattle, or possible a DOTA 2 gaming tournament if there is one at some point in the US that we can go to. To Seattle - ~$2,600 (without a tournament, and without a rental car)
Jamie's Story:
Jamie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes nearly 10 years ago. Back then, it was not managed well and he developed gastroparesis and autonomic neuropathy. Both of these are treated with various medications that are, at best, hit and miss on their effectiveness. When the ones for his gastroparesis stop working at times, he ends up in the hospital - sometimes for days at a time.
The autonomic neuropathy causes nerve damage that has greatly affected his lungs and heart. His heartbeat is regularly close to 200 and will race into the 300s randomly at times, causing his blood pressure to drop very low. As of June 2016, he was given 5 years to live if his lungs continued to worsen. As of May 2017, we got a small bit of good news - his latest x-rays showed no further progression of the neuropathy in his lungs.
We are doing everything we can to properly manage his diabetes now, as it will slow the progression of the nerve damage that causes his pain on a daily basis. If the doctors are correct, as of right now in 2019, that would mean he could have only 2 years or so left, if we're lucky. We would like to give him as many awesome memories of places around the world, if we can, before he leaves us - whether that's two years from now, or with a bit of luck, longer than that. Please help us get Jamie to all the places he wants to see before then!
If you would like to donate via a different method than GoFundMe, or have ideas for ways to help raise awareness of the campaign, feel free to email us at the email we've provided on the campaign. We also have a SpreadShirt shop and a Teespring shop, if you're interested in some merchandise to go with your donation (all proceeds from the shop go directly to the fundraiser)!We are lucky to have an incredible friend who happens to be a fantastic artist and donated her talents to our fundraiser. (You can find her on Twitter - @pixieatlarge, and she is open to paid commissions as well!). We also have a Twitter - @jamies_hope - if you'd like to see shorter updates or get in touch with us that way!