Donate To Support Allyson's Family

Quick Update:

Sadly, Allyson passed away on March 15th, 2024. This has left a huge hole in her spouse's life and any help you give will be appreciated.

Original Message:

Hello, everyone. My name is Shane Birley and I would like to take a moment to thank you for reading this support request for Allyson McGrane. I have never written something like this before so please excuse any long winded rambling. I will try to be concise.

Last August, Allyson began to feel unwell. We decided it was a good idea to visit the doctor. She felt it wasn't anything serious but thought it was worth a doctor to take a look. We made a plan to visit the doctor and then have a light brunch. It was like any other day. But, a few hours after that initial meeting, she was admitted to hospital for an overnight stay to conduct some tests. The doctors were suspicious and believed her symptoms were a signal of something more serious. The next day, our world changed. The internal medicine team said there was something growing inside her abdomen.

It took a few weeks, but at the beginning of October 2023, the oncology doctors diagnosed Allyson with mesothelioma, a particularly aggressive cancer that manifests in the tissues of the lungs or the peritoneal lining of the abdomen. A week after the diagnosis, Allyson began a series of chemotherapy treatments. It was hard on her and she didn't want anyone to know that she was ill. The treatments ran into December and things were going well. The cancer tumours were being reduced in size and the doctors were hopeful.

Unfortunately, in late January, something changed and her health began to falter. We attended several meetings with her oncology team and have concluded the chemotherapy was no longer working. We discussed options and found the only medical option left to her is immunotherapy. Unfortunately, in British Columbia, the type of immunotherapy she desperately needs is not covered and it will require us to pay for her infusions privately. The estimated cost for this treatment is about $250,000. Any funds we receive would help pay for this treatment.

As I am sure you know, this has left us devastated and we are on the emotional rollercoaster of our lives. Any financial help would ease our burden and allow us to focus on her medical needs.