Support Justin's Lymphoma Treatment
Donation protected
If you’re lucky enough to know Justin already, you know him to be gentle, kind, selfless. His quiet presence, humility and razor sharp wit, don’t even begin to scratch the surface when trying to describe what a wonderful person he is. Justin, and his fiancé Purdy, were living blissfully, all the while traveling and planning their wedding, when life took a sharp turn.
In the spring of 2019, Justin was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, an aggressive type of blood cancer.
In the weeks leading up to his first admission to the ER, his right lung had begun to fill with fluid, causing chills, night sweats and severe lack of sleep. Unable to eat, he lost 30 pounds in 2 weeks. No longer able to breathe, he was rushed to the emergency where they inserted a pigtail catheter into his chest to drain his fluid filled lung. From there he was moved to a quarantined high acuity room. This event would kick start a long and painful battle.
For the next month, Justin was confined to a hospital bed with oxygen tubes, IV drips, and chest fluid drainage tubes. The simplest tasks, like eating, now took a herculean effort. Scans revealed that fluid had also begun to accumulate in the pericardial sac around his heart. The result being so much pressure and strain on the heart, that his resting heart rate was equivalent to that of someone running. A surgeon was able to carve a 'window' into his pericardial sac to drain the fluid and relieve the pressure.
Hours and days thereafter were filled with beeping machines from either oxygen levels falling too low or heart rate spiking too high. Many teams of doctors and two chest biopsies later, the pathologists finally diagnosed lymphoma.
From here Justin had begun to rehabilitate a bit. He was able to gradually wean himself off oxygen, take in full breaths, and learn to walk again after a month of atrophy. Being clinically strong enough to begin chemotherapy, his first round of treatment began, consisting of an 18cm long FEM lines inserted into the groin, bone marrow biopsy and the first dose of a chemotherapy called R-CHOP.
Plan A: RCHOP / EPOCH Chemotherapy Treatments
He was admitted to the BC Cancer Agency as an in-patient hooked up to a chemo IV that dripped for the entirety of his week- long stay. He also received Rituximab, a viscous liquid administered by a syringe in the abdomen. After the week was over, he was able to spend 2 weeks at home before going in for the next session. At home, days consisted of self-administered daily injections to the stomach.
After 3 rounds and severe side effects consisting of nail striations, mouth sores and ringing in the ears, it was decided to end the treatment. Throughout this process various PET scans were performed, showing improvement. However, the final PET scan brought a devastating blow as it showed that the tumour had stopped responding to the chemo and was growing again.
Plan B: Bone Marrow Transplant
Prior to the bone marrow transplant, Justin had to undergo another chemotherapy (GDP) as a litmus test for the BMT effectiveness. After 6 sessions, doctors concluded that the chemo wasn't effective and the BMT was cancelled.
Justin was admitted to the ER 3 separate times after this - Christmas Day, New Years, and Chinese New Years. The last visit kept him in the hospital for 3 weeks due to a debilitating lumbar puncture headache and unbearable shoulder pain, caused by the growing tumour pressing on a nerve. The size of the tumour further complicated things by blocking airways, backing up systems on his right side and causing so much swelling that his right arm was too heavy to lift. He was on a constant cycle of hydromorphone and methadone. The situation became so dire that a number of social workers started approaching him about end-of-life wishes, representation agreements, and a number of other things no 33 year old should have to think about.
He underwent 5 sessions of radiation therapy in an attempt to shrink the tumour. Over the next few weeks the combination of the radiation and an immunotherapy drug help to gradually bring down the swelling and shrink the tumour.
Plan C: CAR T Therapy
CAR-T therapy is a brand new type of anti-cancer treatment proven to be effective against lymphoma. The therapy takes normal T cells from his immune system, genetically modifies them to attack the cancer, and then returns them back into his blood. Millions of these modified cells can then travel throughout his body, finding and killing the cancer in a way that the chemotherapy couldn't. This new treatment has helped many people achieve complete remission from their cancer.
Justin underwent the clinical trial of CAR-T therapy in Vancouver. Unfortunately through testing and trial growth of his manufactured CAR-T cells, they weren’t growing at the rate needed for treatment, resulting in their only Vancouver option failing.
Justin has now been given the opportunity to travel to the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, to undergo another attempt at CAR-T Therapy. On Wednesday, June 10th, Justin and Purdy, who has been an unwavering pillar of strength and support for Justin, will be making the brave trip to fight this together. The concerns with COVID, racial tension and general unease are very real fears but his only option for a cure is now in Seattle.
Cutting-edge cancer treatments are very expensive, particularly in the United States. We are hopeful that majority of the proposed medical treatments will be covered. However, he has to travel to and live in Seattle for months while the cells are grown and then work in his body to remove the cancer. These travel, living, and other medical expenses will add up quickly and no coverage is provided for them.
Justin has endured so many treatments and hospital admissions over the past year, through a process that is incredibly difficult both mentally and physically. Through it all he has remained graceful, optimistic and has looked forward to a future where cancer is behind him. This new treatment is an opportunity for that to happen. He needs our help to make this trip happen, to give him his chance at remission. Please donate whatever you can to help.
Any donations left over after the treatment will be donated for continued cancer research.
In the spring of 2019, Justin was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, an aggressive type of blood cancer.
In the weeks leading up to his first admission to the ER, his right lung had begun to fill with fluid, causing chills, night sweats and severe lack of sleep. Unable to eat, he lost 30 pounds in 2 weeks. No longer able to breathe, he was rushed to the emergency where they inserted a pigtail catheter into his chest to drain his fluid filled lung. From there he was moved to a quarantined high acuity room. This event would kick start a long and painful battle.
For the next month, Justin was confined to a hospital bed with oxygen tubes, IV drips, and chest fluid drainage tubes. The simplest tasks, like eating, now took a herculean effort. Scans revealed that fluid had also begun to accumulate in the pericardial sac around his heart. The result being so much pressure and strain on the heart, that his resting heart rate was equivalent to that of someone running. A surgeon was able to carve a 'window' into his pericardial sac to drain the fluid and relieve the pressure.
Hours and days thereafter were filled with beeping machines from either oxygen levels falling too low or heart rate spiking too high. Many teams of doctors and two chest biopsies later, the pathologists finally diagnosed lymphoma.
From here Justin had begun to rehabilitate a bit. He was able to gradually wean himself off oxygen, take in full breaths, and learn to walk again after a month of atrophy. Being clinically strong enough to begin chemotherapy, his first round of treatment began, consisting of an 18cm long FEM lines inserted into the groin, bone marrow biopsy and the first dose of a chemotherapy called R-CHOP.
Plan A: RCHOP / EPOCH Chemotherapy Treatments
He was admitted to the BC Cancer Agency as an in-patient hooked up to a chemo IV that dripped for the entirety of his week- long stay. He also received Rituximab, a viscous liquid administered by a syringe in the abdomen. After the week was over, he was able to spend 2 weeks at home before going in for the next session. At home, days consisted of self-administered daily injections to the stomach.
After 3 rounds and severe side effects consisting of nail striations, mouth sores and ringing in the ears, it was decided to end the treatment. Throughout this process various PET scans were performed, showing improvement. However, the final PET scan brought a devastating blow as it showed that the tumour had stopped responding to the chemo and was growing again.
Plan B: Bone Marrow Transplant
Prior to the bone marrow transplant, Justin had to undergo another chemotherapy (GDP) as a litmus test for the BMT effectiveness. After 6 sessions, doctors concluded that the chemo wasn't effective and the BMT was cancelled.
Justin was admitted to the ER 3 separate times after this - Christmas Day, New Years, and Chinese New Years. The last visit kept him in the hospital for 3 weeks due to a debilitating lumbar puncture headache and unbearable shoulder pain, caused by the growing tumour pressing on a nerve. The size of the tumour further complicated things by blocking airways, backing up systems on his right side and causing so much swelling that his right arm was too heavy to lift. He was on a constant cycle of hydromorphone and methadone. The situation became so dire that a number of social workers started approaching him about end-of-life wishes, representation agreements, and a number of other things no 33 year old should have to think about.
He underwent 5 sessions of radiation therapy in an attempt to shrink the tumour. Over the next few weeks the combination of the radiation and an immunotherapy drug help to gradually bring down the swelling and shrink the tumour.
Plan C: CAR T Therapy
CAR-T therapy is a brand new type of anti-cancer treatment proven to be effective against lymphoma. The therapy takes normal T cells from his immune system, genetically modifies them to attack the cancer, and then returns them back into his blood. Millions of these modified cells can then travel throughout his body, finding and killing the cancer in a way that the chemotherapy couldn't. This new treatment has helped many people achieve complete remission from their cancer.
Justin underwent the clinical trial of CAR-T therapy in Vancouver. Unfortunately through testing and trial growth of his manufactured CAR-T cells, they weren’t growing at the rate needed for treatment, resulting in their only Vancouver option failing.
Justin has now been given the opportunity to travel to the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, to undergo another attempt at CAR-T Therapy. On Wednesday, June 10th, Justin and Purdy, who has been an unwavering pillar of strength and support for Justin, will be making the brave trip to fight this together. The concerns with COVID, racial tension and general unease are very real fears but his only option for a cure is now in Seattle.
Cutting-edge cancer treatments are very expensive, particularly in the United States. We are hopeful that majority of the proposed medical treatments will be covered. However, he has to travel to and live in Seattle for months while the cells are grown and then work in his body to remove the cancer. These travel, living, and other medical expenses will add up quickly and no coverage is provided for them.
Justin has endured so many treatments and hospital admissions over the past year, through a process that is incredibly difficult both mentally and physically. Through it all he has remained graceful, optimistic and has looked forward to a future where cancer is behind him. This new treatment is an opportunity for that to happen. He needs our help to make this trip happen, to give him his chance at remission. Please donate whatever you can to help.
Any donations left over after the treatment will be donated for continued cancer research.
Fundraising team (3)
Ian Bosdet
Organizer
Vancouver, BC
Justin Wong
Beneficiary
Kari Heagy
Team member
Mirsada Jakupovic
Team member
