Cancer Treatment for Jeff Nations
Donation protected
The old saying "Life can turn on a dime" has certainly proven to be true for Jeff Nations and family. Out of the blue one day Jeff's throat began to close up. He immediately went to an urgent care facility where they treated him for an infection and sent him on his way. Sensing something wasn't right, he went to his family doctor of 20 years who ultimately determined his tonsils should be removed. Not quite the simple operation as that of a kid...but Jeff is a "kid" in his mid-40s... and came through like a trooper. During that surgery, the doctor noticed something suspicious, removed it and sent for a biopsy. And with the result of that biopsy, Jeff and Keely Nations world came crashing down. The diagnosis was Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a very aggressive form of lymphoma only affecting about 6% of all lymphoma diagnoses. Here is a young family, one 8 year old daughter (the apple of her Daddy's eye...and vice versa) and another precious daughter who just turned one year old - a week after this heartbreaking news.
The journey and the fight to live begin:
· Local oncologists proposed chemotherapy to be started immediately. The prognosis - it could extend Jeff's life by 5 years and, if lucky, maybe a few years longer, but at what quality of life they couldn't predict.
· A dear friend of theirs, who's mother had been diagnosed with the same disease 6 months prior, reached out and put them on the path of MD Anderson in Houston. Her mother is in a successful clinical trial for this disease and was in remission after 6 months.
· Jeff and Keely researched this trial and long story short, went to Houston, met the doctor, obtained more information and were told that Jeff would be accepted into the trial which consisted of 100 patients and he was patient 100!
· Jeff and Keely have a deep faith in God and believe with all their hearts that He has a plan for their family. They felt very blessed that He guided them down this path. There was now HOPE that Jeff could actually LIVE and be there for his wife and daughters for a very long time. Praise the Lord!
· This clinical trial has had several previous trials that, each time, have proved more and more successful and per the doctor, they are now on the doorstep of a "cure"....or at least, in more preferred medical/cancer terms, a "permanent remission". Jeff was told that treatment needed to begin ASAP.
· More bad news - because Jeff is the owner of a local company and Keely is in business for herself, their insurance is through the Affordable Care Act - for which they pay hefty premiums. However, their insurance will not cover any expenses, not even as an "out of network" provider so the entire cost of this treatment would be "out of pocket".
· How do you put a price on someone's life? Because there is no insurance coverage, the hospital requires full payment, upfront, before Jeff can begin treatment. Jeff and Keely began to look at sacrificing all they had to pay for this treatment, but time was not on their side as treatment must begin quickly.
· It wouldn't seem like this situation could not get any more tragic, but then the price tag for the cost of treatment was provided to them - a staggering $1.6 million! Who has that kind of money laying around? AND, because it was imperative that Jeff start treatment immediately, they needed to obtain those funds immediately.
· Jeff and Keely leaned heavily on their faith, never wavering in their belief that God has a plan for them.
· The trial is conducted in 2 phases over a span of 2 years. Jeff was on the phone with the doctor pledging that he would pay all the costs but pleaded with them to be allowed to do so in installments. The doctor was very understanding and sympathetic and said if they could pay for the 1st phase upfront, he would contact the clinical trial department and sign off on that. Treatment could begin.
· Cost of the 1st phase - $850K!! While significantly better than the full amount, how could anyone come up with that kind of cash in a short amount of time? But Jeff and Keely persevere.
Keely and Jeff have always been there for so many others, giving of themselves in any and all ways they can help. They are not used to, or comfortable, being on the "receiving" side, but they are now faced with a life situation that is outside their financial ability to meet, especially in a short time frame.
With all this in mind, we are seeking any donation that could be made to help Jeff and Keely raise the money needed for the 1st phase of this clinical trial treatment. Hope that Jeff can live a long life is just within reach and with any amount of funds received, it will be even closer. Jeff, Keely, their young daughters and all of us who love them so dearly would be eternally grateful.
Jeff and Keely thank you from the bottom of their hearts.
The journey and the fight to live begin:
· Local oncologists proposed chemotherapy to be started immediately. The prognosis - it could extend Jeff's life by 5 years and, if lucky, maybe a few years longer, but at what quality of life they couldn't predict.
· A dear friend of theirs, who's mother had been diagnosed with the same disease 6 months prior, reached out and put them on the path of MD Anderson in Houston. Her mother is in a successful clinical trial for this disease and was in remission after 6 months.
· Jeff and Keely researched this trial and long story short, went to Houston, met the doctor, obtained more information and were told that Jeff would be accepted into the trial which consisted of 100 patients and he was patient 100!
· Jeff and Keely have a deep faith in God and believe with all their hearts that He has a plan for their family. They felt very blessed that He guided them down this path. There was now HOPE that Jeff could actually LIVE and be there for his wife and daughters for a very long time. Praise the Lord!
· This clinical trial has had several previous trials that, each time, have proved more and more successful and per the doctor, they are now on the doorstep of a "cure"....or at least, in more preferred medical/cancer terms, a "permanent remission". Jeff was told that treatment needed to begin ASAP.
· More bad news - because Jeff is the owner of a local company and Keely is in business for herself, their insurance is through the Affordable Care Act - for which they pay hefty premiums. However, their insurance will not cover any expenses, not even as an "out of network" provider so the entire cost of this treatment would be "out of pocket".
· How do you put a price on someone's life? Because there is no insurance coverage, the hospital requires full payment, upfront, before Jeff can begin treatment. Jeff and Keely began to look at sacrificing all they had to pay for this treatment, but time was not on their side as treatment must begin quickly.
· It wouldn't seem like this situation could not get any more tragic, but then the price tag for the cost of treatment was provided to them - a staggering $1.6 million! Who has that kind of money laying around? AND, because it was imperative that Jeff start treatment immediately, they needed to obtain those funds immediately.
· Jeff and Keely leaned heavily on their faith, never wavering in their belief that God has a plan for them.
· The trial is conducted in 2 phases over a span of 2 years. Jeff was on the phone with the doctor pledging that he would pay all the costs but pleaded with them to be allowed to do so in installments. The doctor was very understanding and sympathetic and said if they could pay for the 1st phase upfront, he would contact the clinical trial department and sign off on that. Treatment could begin.
· Cost of the 1st phase - $850K!! While significantly better than the full amount, how could anyone come up with that kind of cash in a short amount of time? But Jeff and Keely persevere.
Keely and Jeff have always been there for so many others, giving of themselves in any and all ways they can help. They are not used to, or comfortable, being on the "receiving" side, but they are now faced with a life situation that is outside their financial ability to meet, especially in a short time frame.
With all this in mind, we are seeking any donation that could be made to help Jeff and Keely raise the money needed for the 1st phase of this clinical trial treatment. Hope that Jeff can live a long life is just within reach and with any amount of funds received, it will be even closer. Jeff, Keely, their young daughters and all of us who love them so dearly would be eternally grateful.
Jeff and Keely thank you from the bottom of their hearts.
Organizer
Keely Nations
Organizer
Denver, CO
