Life goes BOOM! Help save Justin
Donation protected
You probably know Justin, but if you don't let me tell you about him. Justin is an analyst programmer. He is a long time member and supporter of the Western Force, and he's been lucky enough to watch cricket at Lords and the Wallabies in Glasgow. He runs in his spare time, from the City to Surf to Full Marathons, he goes to the gym and is a regular blood donor. He is happily married with two young boys, has a mortgage to cover the family home and he dreams of getting his skipper's licence so that he can take the boys fishing and camping. Yeah, he suffered from reflux but nothing that can't be managed with some Nexium. An ordinary Australian guy, right?
The family in 2016
BOOM - On his 43rd birthday Justin was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.
All of a sudden he was "eating" via a tube that went in through his nostril and into his stomach. The hospital organised Justin's treatment after teams of specialists met to discuss how best to treat him. Doctors and nurses organised appointments for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. It went from park to 4th gear within weeks. Through all this the family floated in numb disbelief, terrified of the potential outcome. Justin just wanted to see his boys grow up.
But Justin responded well to treatment and his recovery was on track, he was out of hospital in record time. He spent that Christmas at home, with his family. Life started returning to normal. The family could begin to rebuild their life and were well on the way to paying back all their friends and family who had lent them money to pay the mortgage while Justin was unable to work. Contractors don't get paid for sick days.
Sounds like a happy ending, right? It was, even though treatment was pretty rough on Justin's body, he had broken ribs from the surgery, his bowels are prone to blockage, he lost almost all his muscle mass, and he had aches and pains all over. No stress, he'll heal in time. He's tough, has to be for his kids.
Justin earlier this year
Justin still has regular check ups with a variety of doctors. This year has been bad for the flu and a few doctors thought that is what he had. One doctor recommended that he drink raw honey and ginger tea, which is delicious and highly recommended for general health and well-being, but as it turns out, not so good against cancer.
A CT scan just four months after his last endoscopy earlier this year sent Justin straight to Emergency.
BOOM!
The feeding tube went back in. Panic. It wasn't supposed to come back, the doctors said as much. What do we tell our sons? How to we maintain normality? Savings spent, a mortgage, bathroom that needs renovating, leaking ceilings, and absolutely no hope left in the emotional tank. Justin's wife digs up bones for a living, but these days he is looking a little too skeletal even for her!
Justin at his son's birthday, Aug 2019
Then he gets a break. A private oncologist who was involved in Justin's initial treatment took him on as a patient, he administered his own formula of chemotherapy and after just two months (4 sessions) his cancer reduced by 98%. It turns out that Justin is very chemo-sensitive, this means that he responds well to treatment. Maybe Justin's kids wont be fatherless, and his wife won't be a widow.
Now this is where you come in. Justin has a type of cancer that is great at turning off his immune system and tricking his cells into ignoring the cancer and letting it grow as much as it likes. In Justin's case this was pretty fast and furious, and it really likes to spread all over his body. The good news is that thanks to the miracle of science there is a drug that can reverse the inhibiting effect of the cancer and let him fight it off with his own immune system. The bad news is that the treatment costs $66,000 just for the first year. This drug has only recently gained FDI approval for treatment of oesophageal cancer in the USA, but it's been used successfully in lung cancer patients.
We need your help to pay for this first year of treatment, not only to save Justin but to show that this treatment should become a more widely applied option in Australia. Justin still needs 16 weeks of chemotherapy to really step on the cancer, this means that although WEX Australia (his employer) has been and continues to be extraordinarily supportive, he can't really work full time. Justin's wife does work full time, is undertaking a part time PhD, and looks after the children, home, and Justin when he is sick with the side effects of the chemotherapy. Without the immunotherapy it is likely that the cancer will come back even after 20 weeks of chemo.
Please help us save Justin, for the sake of his family, for the sake of future sufferers of oesophageal cancer.
The family in 2016BOOM - On his 43rd birthday Justin was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.
All of a sudden he was "eating" via a tube that went in through his nostril and into his stomach. The hospital organised Justin's treatment after teams of specialists met to discuss how best to treat him. Doctors and nurses organised appointments for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. It went from park to 4th gear within weeks. Through all this the family floated in numb disbelief, terrified of the potential outcome. Justin just wanted to see his boys grow up.
But Justin responded well to treatment and his recovery was on track, he was out of hospital in record time. He spent that Christmas at home, with his family. Life started returning to normal. The family could begin to rebuild their life and were well on the way to paying back all their friends and family who had lent them money to pay the mortgage while Justin was unable to work. Contractors don't get paid for sick days.
Sounds like a happy ending, right? It was, even though treatment was pretty rough on Justin's body, he had broken ribs from the surgery, his bowels are prone to blockage, he lost almost all his muscle mass, and he had aches and pains all over. No stress, he'll heal in time. He's tough, has to be for his kids.
Justin earlier this yearJustin still has regular check ups with a variety of doctors. This year has been bad for the flu and a few doctors thought that is what he had. One doctor recommended that he drink raw honey and ginger tea, which is delicious and highly recommended for general health and well-being, but as it turns out, not so good against cancer.
A CT scan just four months after his last endoscopy earlier this year sent Justin straight to Emergency.
BOOM!
The feeding tube went back in. Panic. It wasn't supposed to come back, the doctors said as much. What do we tell our sons? How to we maintain normality? Savings spent, a mortgage, bathroom that needs renovating, leaking ceilings, and absolutely no hope left in the emotional tank. Justin's wife digs up bones for a living, but these days he is looking a little too skeletal even for her!
Justin at his son's birthday, Aug 2019Then he gets a break. A private oncologist who was involved in Justin's initial treatment took him on as a patient, he administered his own formula of chemotherapy and after just two months (4 sessions) his cancer reduced by 98%. It turns out that Justin is very chemo-sensitive, this means that he responds well to treatment. Maybe Justin's kids wont be fatherless, and his wife won't be a widow.
Now this is where you come in. Justin has a type of cancer that is great at turning off his immune system and tricking his cells into ignoring the cancer and letting it grow as much as it likes. In Justin's case this was pretty fast and furious, and it really likes to spread all over his body. The good news is that thanks to the miracle of science there is a drug that can reverse the inhibiting effect of the cancer and let him fight it off with his own immune system. The bad news is that the treatment costs $66,000 just for the first year. This drug has only recently gained FDI approval for treatment of oesophageal cancer in the USA, but it's been used successfully in lung cancer patients.
We need your help to pay for this first year of treatment, not only to save Justin but to show that this treatment should become a more widely applied option in Australia. Justin still needs 16 weeks of chemotherapy to really step on the cancer, this means that although WEX Australia (his employer) has been and continues to be extraordinarily supportive, he can't really work full time. Justin's wife does work full time, is undertaking a part time PhD, and looks after the children, home, and Justin when he is sick with the side effects of the chemotherapy. Without the immunotherapy it is likely that the cancer will come back even after 20 weeks of chemo.
Please help us save Justin, for the sake of his family, for the sake of future sufferers of oesophageal cancer.
Organizer
Ambika Flavel
Organizer
Kiara, WA