Krista Stephenson’s Fight Against Bladder Cancer

UPDATE: 16th November 2023 

Message from Stevo, Hi All Thank you all for your support over the past few weeks. Krista was moved from ICU Monday afternoon and is now recovering at Mater private hospital Brisbane, Level 10 East. She has been doing very well with her daily Physio and is determined to make it home, by walking with the trolley walker a little further each day. She will be in hospital for another 1-2 weeks. Her pathology results came back and they are confident that they removed the golf ball size tumour. Krista’s Doctor’s and Oncologist’s are now determining the forward plan with immunotherapy to ensure the cancer doesn’t come back elsewhere. Long road of recovery ahead, but Krista is a very strong woman and intent on beating this!

UPDATE Sunday 12th November 2023

Krista is out of surgery after 9hrs. Now in ICU with Stevo as she wakes up. Surgery went well, she is stable and didn’t loose any blood which is good.

She eventually got to sleep, after  struggling with pain for the last 4hrs. 

Surgeon’s got all cancer and reconstructed as per plan. All is good so far, Long road of recovery ahead for Krista  She is in Mater Hospital, Brisbane in Intensive Care Unit

 Krista & Stevo appreciates your support. It means a lot during this challenging time.  They have both seen this page and are very thankful and so touched by the generosity of all that have donated and reached out.  

Flowers and cards cannot be sent to ICU at this stage.  Cheers 

Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,

Shaun McBride, Josh Coad, David Bond are all asking for help.

We are reaching out to you today with a heavy heart and an urgent plea for assitance. Matt Stephenson AKA "Stevo the Drillers " dear wife - Krista Stephenson, has been diagnosed with stage 3 bladder cancer, and she is facing a challenging journey ahead.

Cancer is a battle that no one wants to face but when you’re 40 years old and start to feel unwell, it’s the last thing you expect.

That’s what Krista and Stevo are facing. Krista was diagnosed with multiple tumours and started treatment in the form of chemotherapy.

After recent scans, they have found that the treatment is not working and it’s race against time now to get a surgical solution in place.

We never think that we need to take time away from work to support loved ones through difficult times but that’s the position that Steveo and Krista are facing. Losing your financial means is a stark reality and something no one should be worried about.

Please donate no matter how big or small in order to support Stevo and Krista through this difficult time. Even a small donation will help to ensure that Stevo can be there to support his wife when she needs him most.

Prior to diagnosis of cancer, Krista was a fit and healthy Pilate’s instructor who loved to hike, ski, go to the beach and adopt and care for animals in need. In May of 2022, Krista saw an unusual amount of blood in her wee at the same time she had Covid, she was prescribed antibiotics by her GP and it cleared up in the following days, 6 months later this was seen again, with the GP again prescribing antibiotics. In July of 2023 there was alot more blood and we pushed the GP for further tests. She got devastating new that she had cancer at the age of 39.

Krista had surgery and there was 7 tumours found in her bladder, 6 that were able to be removed surgically, but the largest cancer had already spread and invaded her muscle wall in her bladder. Results were sent off and found that she has stage 3 muscle invasive Squamous cell carcinoma cancer; this rare 1% type cancer is aggressive and doesn’t have a high mortality rate.

Smoking and exposure to chemicals is the leading cause of bladder cancer and is usually seen in 70-90 year old male smokers. Krista has not been exposed to either of these and there is no family history, so it is an anomaly that she has this type of cancer at her young age, with all her surgeons and oncologists very surprised.

Stevo her husband proceeded to find the best Surgeons and Oncologists in Australia to assist with removing this aggressive SCC cancer, in August Krista started on Chemotherapy in hopes that it would shrink the tumour, after 4 rounds of infusions and a rough time with chemotherapy side effects, more scans were performed and it was determined the chemotherapy was not working with the tumour growing in size. Her surgeons have since fast tracked her Radical cystectomy surgery to remove her bladder and organs below her belly button in hopes to remove the cancer before it spreads to her lungs, liver or bones. This 8-12hr surgery will involve two surgeons and a 6-arm robot to remove and reconstruct Krista’s internal organs.

With Chemotherapy not working for the SCC cancer our next option, 4 weeks after surgery is Immunotherapy with a drug called Keytruda, this infusion is $8000 every 3 weeks for up to 2 years ($277,000 AUD) this is not covered by Medicare or private healthcare due to not being approve yet by the PBS, so they will have to pay for this out of pocket. Keytruda has gained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of bladder cancer. Despite this approval in the United States, the drug's availability and coverage in Australia through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) remain limited for bladder cancer patients. This is often due to differences in healthcare policies, pricing, and evaluation processes between countries, leading to variations in drug access and coverage options for patients in different regions.

As they navigate this difficult path, they are met with not only emotional and physical challenges but also the overwhelming burden of medical expenses. The costs of treatment, surgeries, medications, and ongoing care are substantial. Myself Shaun McBride along with an army of others both onshore and offshore am are humbly asking for your support to help alleviate this financial strain and ensure that Krista receives the best possible care. Her Husband Stevo has had to take a large proportion of time off work as a primary carer for Krista.

Stevo has worked full time for Maersk Drilling for the last 14 years straight and now happily employed as Main Well Driller for Noble who recently acquired Maersk in a take over deal.

Your generous contributions will go directly towards covering medical bills, therapies, and other essential expenses related to her treatment of cancer. Every donation, no matter the amount, brings us one step closer to providing Krista with the fighting chance she deserves to stay alive.

We know that times are tough for everyone, and any support you can offer is greatly appreciated. Please share this campaign with your network to help us reach as many people as possible. Together, we can make a real difference in Krista's life.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts from the Offshore Team on Noble Deliverer (500KM off the coast of North West Australia) for standing by Krista and Matt Stephenson's side during this challenging time. Your love and generosity will make a big difference.

Any funds that are not used for Krista’s treatment will be donated to the Australian Cancer Council Charity and BEAT Bladder cancer Australia. Stevo would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need and has been a strong advocate and Team Captain for Movemeber along with the rest of the crew on Noble Deliverer for 3 years running.

GRAND TOTAL FOR Movemeber 2022 = $52,978!

Funds Raised in: 2020 - $25,418,

Raised in 2021: $31,267)

We are about to enter a forth year of this brilliant charity but this year we are giving him a break that he deserves and putting larger resources and more energy into looking after one of our own, we stand together on Offshore Noble Deliverer.

Thanks for Reading and getting involved.

Shaun McBride