My name is Rebecca Drinnan and I am reaching out for our good friend, Daniel (Dan) Parish, who is courageously fighting chromophobe renal cell carcinoma – a rare kidney cancer with limited therapy options globally. Dan (49 yrs) is a loving, devoted husband to Belinda (43 yrs), together since their early 20’s, these true soul mates have three wonderful children: Jacub 13, Isabelle 11 and Madelyn 9 (despite a battled journey of IVF).

Dan was diagnosed in December 2022, thinking it was gallstones…. not the 15cm solid mass tumour, which had metastasized to lymph nodes and bone. The first year was full of hospital visits, medical appointments, and difficult days. Just as the family was adjusting to this new reality, tragedy struck again when, in February 2024, Belinda was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive and rare breast cancer (neuroendocrine ductal breast cancer). Thinking of the kids she immediately underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction (11.5hrs of surgery, including lymph nodes that within 3 months and a tiny tumour 1.8cm had already spread too). Complications followed: Belinda developed an allergic reaction to the chemotherapy which followed the surgery. Sepsis followed, leading to 15 days ICU induced coma, multiple wash outs, resuscitation on 5 occasions and then months of rehab to learn to function again as she was both temporarily physically and mentally impaired. As a team the family supported each other and luckily at this point Belinda is in remission, unfortunately her cancer type poses challenges as its likelihood of return is high and with chemo no longer an option global treatment is limited. Close oncologist monitoring is supporting an early detection hope. Despite these hardships, Dan and Belinda remain a united, loving team—fully committed to one another and their kids.

Dan has bravely completed daily chemo, fortnightly immune treatments and 6 rounds of radiation over the past three years. Now, his doctors have informed him that standard treatment options have been exhausted, and due to its rarity, all avenues for new medications, alternative therapies and clinical trials have been exhausted. Sadly, due to its rare nature the Australian PBS doesn’t subsidise treatment costs, this has drained the family’s savings greatly. A potential for medical intervention from a research centre in the US may provide options for increasing survival time for Dan, however this brings significant financial strain.

The cost of these treatments and the necessary travel is well beyond what Dan and Belinda can manage on their own, especially after years of battling illness on two fronts. The emotional and financial burden is immense. That’s why we are raising funds for Dan’s overseas treatment, with the first option under consideration being treatment at Yale School of Medicine. We promise to keep you updated with details as they unfold.

Every donation, big or small, will have a real impact, lighten the load and give Dan the chance to focus on what matters most: his treatment and his family. Even sharing this campaign helps more than you know. With your support, we hope to give Dan a fighting chance—a chance to be here for Belinda and their children, and to embrace the full, happy life they so deeply deserve. Also providing the children with a plan that doesn’t see their parents appointing a guardian in their wills in case cancer unfortunately sees them both not able to see Jacub reach his 18th birthday.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity, encouragement, and prayers.

#TeamParish #HopeForDan #NeverGiveUp