Support Jason's Fight Against Stage IV Cancer

Our family needs your help…

My brothers and I have are organizing this GoFundMe for our sister and brother-in-law and their 4 children. Jason is navigating through serious health obstacles and uncertainties ahead. Below is a brief summary of Jason's medical journey.

Jason’s medical journey:

In March of 2023, Jason left work and headed to the emergency room for chest pain. After an X-ray/CT scan, they broke the news to them that Jason had a lesion of concern on his left lung. They immediately went for a follow-up with a thoracic surgeon to have a biopsy done. The biopsy came back positive for NSCLC (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer). In a matter of a couple of weeks, they took Jason in for an upper left lobectomy. During that surgery, they also removed 13 lymph nodes; thankfully, only 1 tested positive for the spread of malignancy. He was diagnosed with Stage IIB non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) at this point in time.

In May of 2023, Jason immediately started chemotherapy and immunotherapy at Hillman Cancer Center here close to their home. (A huge thank you to Gauri Kiefer and Amy Alfery for their incredible care they’ve shown the family).

Fast forward to August 2024, Jason unexpectedly lost his hearing in his left ear completely. He saw multiple ENT doctors who diagnosed him with nerve damage, suggesting that he just needed to get hearing aids. Fortunately, they pursued it further and got a third opinion, where they met a new doctor who got an MRI of Jason’s brain. The imaging came back showing a tumor within the internal auditory nerve. He believed it was a vestibular schwannoma because it showed all the classic symptoms of one. He was certain that it would also explain Jason’s fuzzy memory, balance issues, and hearing loss. They booked for a craniotomy to remove this vestibular schwannoma and were told it would take nearly 11 hours for the procedure. Upon completion of the surgery, a neurosurgeon met his wife, Molly, in a private room and explained how they removed all they could of the tumor, but unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be what they expected. Pathology results came back, and we are all absolutely devastated to hear that Jason’s NSCLC has spread to his brain and is now Stage IV. Jason has received his first round of Gamma Knife radiation here in Pittsburgh. Our local cancer center here has never seen NSCLC come back and attack the auditory nerve/cochlea. They are in contact with amazing doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC, where they want to take Jason for a first appointment consult so they can work closely with their local doctors here back at home. These donations will remove some of the financial burden they are facing to help them pay for travel expenses, as well as the upcoming medical bills. This will allow them to focus on their battle ahead.

We are asking for everyone’s prayers and donations, if you’re able; no amount is too small and will be appreciated beyond measure!