Jaymar's Journey Against Cancer: Finding Hope at Envita

This was not on my BINGO card for 2024-2025. When Jaymar received his bladder cancer diagnosis in September 2024, we went back and forth on whether or not to tell people. Our urologist and his fellows seemed very confident that this would be a 1-2-3 type approach to getting to remission. The biggest decision we would face would be which bladder reconstruction we wanted.

Chemo was scheduled to start at the beginning of October with plans for surgery after the holidays in January 2025 and recovery lasting till about mid-March. With all this information, we didn’t want to worry anyone. We told Jaymar’s parents, “The Crew” - our Maryland friends who are like family, 12CDs (Jaymar’s fraternal family), as well as Jaymar’s CAMI Energy team. When I talk about our journey, I say it was very much like a Hallmark movie turned Twilight Zone. By November 2024, we were on track for the 1-2-3 approach. The number of cancer cells in Jaymar’s blood had dramatically decreased. Close friends came to his chemo sessions. I was approved for intermittent FMLA and was able to be home with him. Right after Thanksgiving, Jay was not feeling well, and we checked in with our oncology team. His kidney toxicity level was through the roof! The cisplatin in his chemo treatment was causing his kidneys to shut down. He was hospitalized the first two weeks in December, and chemo treatment stopped to give him time to recover.

On Dec. 26, our urologist told us that despite the lower cancer cell count in his blood, the tumor had gotten bigger and metastasized, aka spread to other areas. There were now deposits on surrounding lymph nodes. (Me then: what’s a lymph node? Me now: what is it again?) In that ten-minute conversation, right before he walked out, he did say that surgery was off the table. My brain needs more than 10 minutes to compute. So Jay and I were left with questions. Does this mean no surgery EVER IN LIFE? Does this mean we have to wait till a later date? The unspoken question was “Is Jaymar going to die?” We didn’t start asking that question till after our oncology team tried 3 different types of treatment and Jaymar’s 5th subsequent hospitalization and third surgery. His prognosis started off as 4-6 months, then a few months, and ultimately he was told he had weeks.

Our oncologist suggested that we attempt immunotherapy again…and we did. Around Jaymar’s birthday, The National Institute of Health considered us for a clinical trial and suggested we pivot to radiation then immunotherapy. Before Father’s Day, Jay was back in the hospital with hypocalcemia (too much calcium in his blood) and another infection. He was discharged on June 17th into in-home hospice care. In our home, we have a hospital bed, wheelchair, transport chair, a walker, wheelchair ramps leading up our porch and (my personal favorite) a 3-wheel electric scooter!

During that first week at home, I met with our hospice nurse, social worker, CNA, friends who are family, lawyers, and got 3 funeral services quotes. One day Jay and I were at the park talking about who he wanted to sing at his memorial. As he was trying to think of Addyson’s elementary school teacher and fellow PVAMU alum, I looked him square in his eye and said this is not the promise that God placed on my heart. Throughout our 22 years of marriage and 25 years of dating, every MAJOR life-altering decision has been based on one essential question: Do you trust me to follow me?

So here we are. I want Jaymar to go to Envita Medical Center in Scottsdale, AZ. With over 25 years of clinical experience, Envita has been able to optimize results for patients with early-stage bladder cancer as well as those like Jaymar who have stage IV metastatic bladder cancer and have failed to respond to traditional standard of care. Onsite they have their own compound pharmacy where they are able to personalize treatments like their CIPI (Chemo Immuno Precision Injections) or create personalized immunotherapies based on the tumors’ genetic makeup.

WEEK 1: OUTLINE OF FIRST WEEK OF TREATMENT

Day 1: Meet with integrative oncology doctors and review the care protocol based on medical records that were submitted.

Day 2: Meet with our patient care coordinator and start detailed blood work to learn more about the tumor and Jaymar’s body.

Day 3: Start nutritional protocol, have central line placement and EKG.

Day 4: Start treatment based on lab results.

The average length of treatment is 10-13 weeks - Monday thru Friday - and can last up to 5 hours each day. Jay and I would have to stay in Arizona during this time. Because many of the protocols/treatment are not FDA approved and thereby they are not covered by insurance.

The average cost per week is $10,000. Total average cost of treatment: $130,000

Jaymar has meant so much to so many people. Each time loved ones have asked “what can we do to help?” I have felt really bad. Until now, my only request has been to keep us uplifted in prayer. For me, THAT’S HUGE. A part of me needs the good Lord to know that although my prayers are selfish, Jaymar has been a good servant and has been a light to others. He’s been the love of my life, a pain in my derriere, and my oldest and dearest friend for upward of a quarter of a century! Bralynn and Addyson have not only called him dad but Coach. Coach Davis raised his hand when the girls were in 3rd and Kinder to be their soccer coach. When we moved to Maryland, he was a coach for the Visitation Academy’s girls basketball and soccer teams. For years, he coached with Taneytown’s Basketball Rec League. This year he had to turn down Varsity girls basketball coaching at Addyson’s school because of chemo.

Jaymar is a brother in every sense of the word. Whether it's through blood, Epsilon Gamma Iota, Inc, or as an alum of The Prairie View A&M University, when you need someone to show up, you can count on Jaymar. Throughout his professional career as an engineer and as founder of CAMI Energy, I have watched from the front row as he has blended his technical expertise with his gift to make connections. From tech calls to sales calls, from engineering to real estate, you can’t be on a call with Jaymar or in his presence and not feel how much he cares about you.

And on top of all of this, if you’ve never eaten Jaymar’s brisket… I’m sorry!

So how can you help? I have girl math, momma math, engineered math the hell out of the cost of treatment.

We need 1 person who is financially fit to sponsor the entire treatment.

Jaymar’s financial advisor and her team can talk to you about how this can be a loan.

We need 10 people to make a donation of $13,000

Envita is a pay-as-you-go. It averages out to $10,000 a week. We are willing to start our journey as soon as we have $20K. We’ve already started the consultation part of admissions.

We need 100 people to make a donation of $1,300

(This seems more practical.)

Even if you don’t personally have $1300 to give within your network of friends and family… it can work out. For example, John’s daughter played rec ball with Bralynn. John can give $100. His parents can donate $100 because his mom remembers Jaymar from when she attended basketball games. Two of John’s fishing buddies are willing to donate $50 each ($100). John’s sister and brother can donate $50 each ($100). John’s co-workers are donating $25 each ($100). About 5 of John’s Facebook friends are willing to donate because he shared a photo of Jay and his daughter’s basketball team when they were little ($150). Each of those friends that donated also shared the GoFundMe story and were able to get their friends to donate ($50). Is this $1300? No, but $700 is impactful (and appreciated!)

We need 1000 people to make a donation of $130.

Check your text messages! If you are in Jaymar’s cell phone or my cell phone, we are reaching out.

We would love for everyone to follow their heart and give what they can!

The girls and I have started an IG page to share this journey. When I was going through photos on the GoFundMe page, there were times where I didn’t realize how much Jaymar’s physical appearance had changed. When watching old videos, I relish the sound of his velvety voice. So much has changed in such a short amount of time. And yet so much has become more resolute.

Follow us on IG

@JaymarsJourneyAgainstCancer

To learn more about Envita

https://www.envita.com/webinars/cancer-presentation

Please note: Brandee Davis and Bralynn Davis have started this Go Fund Me for Jaymar Davis. The funds will be used to cover Jaymar's the expenses related to medical treatment and travel to Scottsdale, AZ.