Join Us to Assist Ian's Brave Fight

My name is Cecelia Low, and I am setting up a GoFundMe account for a friend of mine. A few weeks back, I learned of a young man at my church named Ian Tyrrell. Ian is 12 years old, and he has a type of brain cancer called MedullBlastoma. His tumors are in the ventricles of his brain, and are inoperable. He was diagnosed at age 5, and completed 22 months of chemotherapy, as well as radiation at that time. His cancer came back in 2019, and he was given a prognosis of one year to live. He has been on chemo every 4-6 weeks since that time. Currently, his oncologists are out of curable chemotherapy options to try for Ian, but Ian is a fighter.

I had the pleasure of meeting him and his mother after our pastor introduced him, his family, and their situation to the congregation. Ian is vibrant, lively, funny, and entertaining. He has the best smile! He loves motorcycles, video games, dancing to youtube videos, and is a huge Seahawks fan. He has so much life in him, and his family is wanting to try everything they can to help their boy. His family is wanting to try anything and everything for Ian, and have just paid $1,000 out of pocket for a second and third opinion with oncology, and are also wanting to start more of an integrative approach to Ian's care. Additionally, Ian's father works for Boeing, and there is a strike right now. He is not getting paid, and the family's medical insurance ran out October 1st. In spring of this year, prior to losing insurance, Ian had 2 seizures in a 2 month period, one of which required him to be on a ventilator, and one requiring him to be airlifted to Mary Bridge. The cost was $50,000, with the family being responsible for $10,000 of it, which drained their savings and strike fund. They are purchasing health insurance right now for Ian only, at $873/month, and they have 5 other sons at home currently without insurance. Ian's mother is back to work in the interim, but without health benefits. Strike pay for Ian's father is only $200/week.

We are fortunate in that Seattle has several good options for integrative and naturopathic oncology, but unfortunately, insurance in the US does not cover this type of care. Integrative care for Ian would look like detoxification, full spectrum nutrition, immunomodulation, restoration of the microbiome, oxygenation, natural and herbal supplementation, IV vitamin C therapy, etc, as well as working with his current oncologist on his care.

I am asking for both prayer and donations for this wonderful family, to help get them back on their feet so they can focus on Ian and their other children, and to assist in Ian's medical care. Thank you from the bottom of my heart......anything and everything helps!

~Cecelia