Support Jonny in his ongoing cancer battle!
UPDATE: Thank you all so much for such an amazing response!!! More still to come for Jonny but in the meantime please watch this video for an update directly from Jonny!
Approx 3 years ago at age 28 Jonny Puglia was given and unimaginable diagnosis of stage 4 colon cancer. Jonny had no healthcare knowledge, limited support and financial resources, and huge battle ahead of him not only against the cancer but against the healthcare system at large. The initial diagnosis took months and the financial burden was huge. This diagnosis was the beginning of the fight of his life which he is still fighting today. Jonny’s disease has taken many twists and turns over the last several years including being diagnosed with a condition called Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP), finding out tumors had spread to the liver and initially he wasn’t a candidate for colon removal, experiencing a turnaround from that situation enough to have life saving surgery which came with its own challenge of having to get a Total Colectomy resulting in a ileostomy, and he has amazingly endured 115 rounds of chemotherapy including some of the harshest of treatments in recent months.
For most of 2020 the results were promising and the chemo was maintenance. In 2021 unfortunately a PET scan revealed an aggressive spread in the abdomen. By April this spread was progressing and unfortunately the Drs had started to run out of options or new chemo regimens to try and fight. Treatment was stopped. Being the Thrivr he is, Jonny didn’t let this stop him in his pursuit to heal his body. His positive thinking, commitment to living life to the fullest, and truly THRIVING are remarkable. Jonny was accepted into NIH clinical trial to try a new form of immunotherapy. He is currently traveling to DC every two weeks for these treatments. 4 treatments in and his readings are currently showing stable.
There is no doubt much of Jonny’s battle is still ahead of him. Throughout his fight Jonny has shown remarkable resilience….he has never once googled anything about his diagnosis or prognosis and is determined to live life on his terms. He still plays soccer, works full time, and continues to travel and volunteer. Most importantly he has started the Thrivr network to support other young adults on their journey to navigate a diagnosis such as Cancer.
Jonny has never asked for anything throughout his journey but has finally accepted the help that we all want to offer him. As you can imagine the financial burdens are mounting and that is his greatest need at this time. I know he would be eternally grateful to be able to come through this more financially stable and any support we can give him will take one more weight off his mind so he can solely focus on his battle. Jonny, you are an inspiration, and we are honored to support you!! Stay tuned for an additional cash fundraiser to be announced shortly where you will have the chance to win $5000 for only $100 ticket!!
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