Kurtis Magvas

Hello everyone-

Most of you know Danielle- she is a pillar in her community; she is the one that runs fundraisers for families that are dealing with cancer, she was on the PTA and the Breakfast Club at Waverly PS in Bowmanville even after all of her kids graduated; Well she and her family now need help-

Her son Kurtis (21) has recently received a devastating diagnosis.

Kurtis has been diagnosed with a cancer called Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma.

The oncologist determined this cancer has been caused by the radiation treatment he received to treat his Nodular Sclerosis Hodgkin's Lymphoma cancer he had when he was 10.

The cancer is in the floor of his mouth. He had surgery booked for September 25, but pre-surgical scans showed that the cancer which was already in his glands, muscles, and nerves had spread and has now infiltrated his mandible jaw bone.

This has changed the severity of the surgery. Because they need to ensure they have a clear enough margin around the tumor, he will need to have a segment of his jaw removed including the attached teeth.

They will replace his jawbone using a piece of bone from his fibula bone in his leg.

The best possible reconstruction/replacement of the teeth are not covered by OHIP and could cost up to $35,000.

Not only that, surgery will have him in the hospital for up to 2 weeks and 6-9 months until complete recovery from surgery. But also, 4-6 weeks post surgery, he will need 6 weeks of radiation at Princess Margaret hospital.

And if that's not enough, they won't even know the stage or grade of the cancer until it is removed and biopsied. So they have no idea how aggressive it is or the chances of recurrence.

Also the pre-surgical c scans showed a lesion on his liver, which they are now doing more scans on to see if it has spread.

On top of this, he will also require radiation again- but it treatment will be twice a day- so we are trying to raise money not only for the surgery, but the additional costs- daily trips to Toronto for radiation, the possible cost of hotels as he will have his radiation split each day; food, loss of work; and whatever other additional costs come out of it.