Jason and Liza Navigate Cancer

Hi, we are Merissa, Brad, and Brian, and we are starting a fundraiser for our good friends/newlyweds, Jason and Liza Heron. After sudden paraplegia, Jason was diagnosed with a Grade 4 astrocytoma on his spine and a few months of survival prognosis. The medical management plan to help stop the tumor included spine surgery and undergoing 60 days of radiation treatment to slow down the tumor progression. The hope is that the radiation treatment will extend his life to at least a year. Jason will also go through an intense in-patient physical therapy rehab program to increase independence and mobility and allow Liza and Jason to spend their year together, enjoying each other's company and exploring the outdoors as much as possible.

We hope to raise money to help fund Jason’s out-of-network/uncovered hospital bills and the expenses related to retrofitting Jason’s home for wheelchair accessibility and ensuring he receives adequate therapy and at-home caregiver support. One of Jason’s hopes is to be able to get in and out of the most tech-forward badass wheelchair ever and to be able to stroll around Dolores Park.

We hope to ease the stress of the uncertain time they have together by reducing Liza's and Jason's financial burden. We hope they spend their time indulging in life’s joys, outdoor adventures, and maybe even travel.

Timeline and Updates:

August 17th: Jason’s right leg has minor symptoms, he sees his PCP to get it checked out but it's dismissed as tendonitis, and he is referred to see a PT.

August 21, 2022: Jason experiences loss of his right leg function/sensation. He goes to UCSF ER, where an MRI diagnoses a large tumor on his spine. Liza flies overnight from her residency in Hawaii to be with Jason.

August 25, 2022: Jason undergoes major surgery, and most of the tumor is removed. Three spots had to be left behind due to a high risk of increasing paralysis.

August 26, 2022: A post-surgical bleeding complication, a hematoma, requires another immediate surgery. During the episode, Jason loses all sensation below the belly button. Post-operatively, he has minimal sensation or function in his legs and lower body.

Aug 31st: Histology reports confirm the worst, a stage 4 astrocytoma with a poor prognosis of a few months survival without treatment. Jason’s life expectancy is hopeful to be extended beyond a year with acute physical therapy and low-dose radiation treatment.

Currently: Jason and Liza are navigating a heartbreaking upend in their lives with an uncertain ending. When they eloped in December 2020, they had all the time in the world-to one day have a wedding and live out their life’s goals and dreams together. Spending the last year long distance between SF and Hawaii, Liza chased her dream of being a pediatric dentist. Liza is now trying to reconfigure her career goals and relocate to SF full-time to be with Jason. Facing this tragedy with their loved ones' support, they are making Jason’s life as comfortable and fulfilling as possible while cherishing each moment they have together.