It was at our family gathering in June this year that John shared the news that he had prostate cancer.  It was a shock to all of us, and especially to his four sons.  Our dad had had it, but he got it in his 70s - John is 56. John is active, fit and full of life.  He is a fun guy, devoted to his family, and a natural leader who loves helping people.  He is passionate about cycling and optimistic about more adventures in his future.  This diagnosis was not life-threatening, but it did have very serious implications for John's quality of life and health.  It looked like he would need to have surgery, with all that entails in terms of invasiveness and side effects (both short and long term).   After researching extensively, we identified another option - HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) .  This approach has been developed over the last 30 years, used in Europe since 1995, and approved in the US in 2015.  It is non-invasive, has relatively minimal side effects, and has an excellent prognosis for a case such as John's. Sadly, the mainstream medical insurance companies still regard this treatment as 'experimental', and refuse to cover it.   I felt very strongly that I didn't want John to shut the door on what might be the best treatment for him simply on the grounds of cost.  Yes, it is a major consideration, but I felt John needed to objectively research and decide what would be the best approach for him.  This is what he did.  He has had consultations with his own doctor, his surgeon, Dr Scionti (who has pioneered and developed the HIFU treatment), and he has gathered information from friends/contacts who have undergone the treatment, and others in his network.  He came to the conclusion that HIFU is the best option at this time for him, at his age and with his active lifestyle. So we are looking at funding a $25K plus bill to go this route.  Some of this can be covered by John and within our family, but it is a stretch. I have never sought to raise money from family or friends for anything, so this feels quite odd.  However, I've seen and supported campaigns on GoFundMe and other platforms that have ranged from medical expenses and emergencies, through creative projects and new products, to travel and charitable causes.  It seems to be very acceptable.  So, I thought, if we can raise anything to contribute to the unexpected costs that John is now facing it would be worth trying. Thus, here I am, setting up a GoFundMe campaign.  Thank you for reading this far.  I am including a caveat that is very important to me - I will circulate this among family and friends, but in no way do I want anyone to feel pressured to respond or contribute.  It is solely a personal decision, and I will not in any way be offended or hurt if for whatever reason you don't respond.  This is only aimed at anyone who feels moved to and wants to respond.  Any help and support will be very gratefully received. GoFundMe is a recognised and trustworthy platform for donations.  They charge a transaction fee of 2.9% and $0.30 per donation.  Apart from this, all donations received will go toward John's medical costs.  Any surplus funds will be donated to a prostate cancer charity. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for any help you can give!