John's Destruction of Cancer Plan
Donation protected
Hello Everyone!
My name is John Keimig. I am a recurrent osteosarcoma cancer survivor looking for money to help fund the medical expenses, travel fair, and lodging of an amazing study out at the University of California - Los Angeles.
I am 26 with clear ambitions of what I want to do with my life, loved ones I would do anything for, and every reason to be here. My journey starts 10 years ago in 2006 when x-rays showed a mass growing in my lower tibia (shin bone) and pressing against my fibula. I remember leaving the doctor's office not knowing what this meant. I noticed that my mom was silently weeping, and I put an arm around her and told her, "it's gonna be okay. We got this." To be honest I didn't know what "this" was, but I knew right then that this journey wasn't about me alone: it's about my family, friends, dreams and ambitions, who I will become, and why it's worth it to go through hell to emerge victorious on the other side.
Since that time I've had four relapses. I’ve undergone multiple chemo regiments, dozens of surgeries, both on my leg and on my lungs where the cancer eventually spread, and more adversity than a single person should have to go through. However, I've learned much about myself, why I believe I'm destined to be here, and what I can accomplish in this world.
Despite relapses, I received my undergraduate degree in Kinesiology and was accepted in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Because of my experiences, I have a passion to help others move and regain control of their bodies after injury, ailment, and disease just like the amazing physical therapists of my past retaught me how to walk, how to exercise, and showed me all the things I could do after my various leg surgeries. I can’t wait for the opportunity to give back to others and help them regain their movement abilities.
Three semesters into my DPT courses, and four and a half years of no sign of disease, routine scans showed a tumor at the bottom of my right lung. I had surgery to remove the tumor, but a month later, five nodules popped up in its place. Since then we have explored and undergone many different treatment options. While some treatments were successful for a time, we need to seek state-of-the-art treatment to take care of the cancer for good.
The University of California – Los Angeles has an advanced study that uses my own modified cells to kill the cancer. It does this by engineering my cells to attack protein markers which my cancer highly expresses. While there are no guarantees in the medical world, we believe this is the missing link to curing my cancer. It is extremely difficult to get into these clinical trials and I am beyond fortunate that my cells, blood typing, and protein markers match perfectly with the study.
Due to travel expenses, lodging, food, and the medical expenses, this treatment could cost 50,000 dollars or more. That is why I am looking for your help. This treatment is the next (and hopefully final) step in curing my cancer. I’m set to begin treatment December 12th of 2016, but will be asking for donations all December while I undergo my trial. Thank you so much for your love and generosity.
I have much to do in this world, and my destiny is to be here for a long, long time. I look forward to the opportunity to get back to school, become a physical therapist where I can help people suffering from medical ailments as I have every day, marry my girlfriend, and so much more. Thank you to everyone who believes in me in these endeavors, my friends I have made along the way, and to those who can help me to reach my aspirations. I love you all so much, and couldn’t do it without you.
-John Keimig
To read more about my story, visit my blog: https://johnsdestructionofcancerplan.wordpress.com/2016/12/07/the-jist-of-it/
My name is John Keimig. I am a recurrent osteosarcoma cancer survivor looking for money to help fund the medical expenses, travel fair, and lodging of an amazing study out at the University of California - Los Angeles.
I am 26 with clear ambitions of what I want to do with my life, loved ones I would do anything for, and every reason to be here. My journey starts 10 years ago in 2006 when x-rays showed a mass growing in my lower tibia (shin bone) and pressing against my fibula. I remember leaving the doctor's office not knowing what this meant. I noticed that my mom was silently weeping, and I put an arm around her and told her, "it's gonna be okay. We got this." To be honest I didn't know what "this" was, but I knew right then that this journey wasn't about me alone: it's about my family, friends, dreams and ambitions, who I will become, and why it's worth it to go through hell to emerge victorious on the other side.
Since that time I've had four relapses. I’ve undergone multiple chemo regiments, dozens of surgeries, both on my leg and on my lungs where the cancer eventually spread, and more adversity than a single person should have to go through. However, I've learned much about myself, why I believe I'm destined to be here, and what I can accomplish in this world.
Despite relapses, I received my undergraduate degree in Kinesiology and was accepted in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Because of my experiences, I have a passion to help others move and regain control of their bodies after injury, ailment, and disease just like the amazing physical therapists of my past retaught me how to walk, how to exercise, and showed me all the things I could do after my various leg surgeries. I can’t wait for the opportunity to give back to others and help them regain their movement abilities.
Three semesters into my DPT courses, and four and a half years of no sign of disease, routine scans showed a tumor at the bottom of my right lung. I had surgery to remove the tumor, but a month later, five nodules popped up in its place. Since then we have explored and undergone many different treatment options. While some treatments were successful for a time, we need to seek state-of-the-art treatment to take care of the cancer for good.
The University of California – Los Angeles has an advanced study that uses my own modified cells to kill the cancer. It does this by engineering my cells to attack protein markers which my cancer highly expresses. While there are no guarantees in the medical world, we believe this is the missing link to curing my cancer. It is extremely difficult to get into these clinical trials and I am beyond fortunate that my cells, blood typing, and protein markers match perfectly with the study.
Due to travel expenses, lodging, food, and the medical expenses, this treatment could cost 50,000 dollars or more. That is why I am looking for your help. This treatment is the next (and hopefully final) step in curing my cancer. I’m set to begin treatment December 12th of 2016, but will be asking for donations all December while I undergo my trial. Thank you so much for your love and generosity.
I have much to do in this world, and my destiny is to be here for a long, long time. I look forward to the opportunity to get back to school, become a physical therapist where I can help people suffering from medical ailments as I have every day, marry my girlfriend, and so much more. Thank you to everyone who believes in me in these endeavors, my friends I have made along the way, and to those who can help me to reach my aspirations. I love you all so much, and couldn’t do it without you.
-John Keimig
To read more about my story, visit my blog: https://johnsdestructionofcancerplan.wordpress.com/2016/12/07/the-jist-of-it/
Organizer and beneficiary
John Keimig
Organizer
Prior Lake, MN
Wendy Keimig
Beneficiary
