Help Daniel fight cancer

Dear Family, Friends, and Supporters,

For those that don't know Dan well, he is a loved son, big brother and the best kind of friend to many.

Dan has a gentle soul yet has always fiercely protected the vulnerable. He is the first to help when someone is in need.

Now he is the one who needs protecting.

For many years Dan has been working and living in Dubai and, whilst there, a mole was discovered on his neck. It was removed and tested, with the doctor giving it the all clear.

In early 2023 he moved back to South Africa whilst exploring his next career move. This June he felt a lump near to where the mole had been removed. Very quickly, swallowing became painful and he struggled to eat. On a doctor's recommendation, 3 lymph nodes were removed and sent to be tested. Our worst fears were realised when the results came back and Malignant Melanoma had been detected in one of the nodes.

It is an aggressive, life-threatening cancer that needs urgent treatment.

• Why Your Support Matters:

Due to the transition back to his home country, his medical aid/insurance in Dubai was cancelled and the bills have already started to pile up. Our family has pulled together to bear the costs so far, but have now maxed out our credit lines and are unable to get more loans approved to pay for further treatment. Dan's oncologist has warned us that the tailored treatment he needs is not available through this country's public healthcare system. We need some help to fight this illness that is trying to take Dan from us.

• How You Can Make an Impact:

1) Extend your Hand: Your contribution is a lifeline for Dan, a tangible way to stand behind him. Every bit counts to help us to get him the proper care necessary to fight his cancer and let him know that he is not alone in this battle.

2) Share: Share Dan's story within your circles, spreading awareness about his battle. Together, we can multiply our efforts and create a network of support.

3) Words of Comfort: Leave a message or a note of encouragement. Your words can be a source of comfort and strength for Dan.

Let's stand by Dan, show him he is not alone, and remind him that his resilience is mirrored in the hearts of those who care.

With heartfelt appreciation

His loving family

* After extensive tests and consultation with his doctors, the following updates are available:

Update 1:

- Dan is BRAF positive, a gene mutation that causes the fast growth of cancer tumours

- The cancer has has spread and been detected by his Parotid lymph node on the leftside of his face

- Surgery is the only realistic option for survival

Update 2:

- Daniel successfully had the tumor removed on 09 Oct. It was larger than expected with some complications in the surgery which we are waiting for an update on.

- The surgery was a success, with the surgeon confident it was all removed with minimal risk of nerve damage.

- We are waiting for Dan to recover a bit from the surgery before he can be assessed again.

- His team of doctors are approaching this one step at a time so we are waiting to hear what is next. The doctors have indicated however that post-op treatment is most likely required but length of time and cost factors are still to be determined. Dan may qualify for a trial program that would cover this cost.

- The tumor has been sent to the lab and Dan will most likely need a few more tests & scans done before the next options are formulated.

Update 3:

- After the post-op consultation with the surgeon and oncologist, Daniel has been informed that his best chance of survival is to go onto BRAF inhibitors. These have a long list of potential serious side effects, but are the best medication available for his case. Daniel needs to go through one more scan to confirm that no cancer is detectable, after which if he has the all clear, he can start the medication immediately. Unfortunately, the cancer field seems to be money driven as the treatment will cost us R55 000 a month. Daniel needs to take the medication for a year!

**As treatment progresses and new bills arrive, we will update our plea here.

Bills to date:

ZAR 359,226.33 including the first month of medication.

Help received to date:

ZAR c68,100 (direct deposits, gofundme, BackaBuddy - estimate due to exchange rate fluctuations).

* Please note the gofundme is set up in Canadian Dollars through assistance from a Candian family member there. If you have any question over validity, please feel welcome to reach out to Daniel directly or his immediate family Jenny de Kock (mother), Luke or Steven de Kock (brothers) to confirm this gofundme.