Support Joel Archer's battle with cancer
Donation protected
Joel's Osteosarcoma Story
Hello, I'm Joanna Archer, Joel's mum, the organizer of this campaign. I would like to share with you Joel's story of Osteosarcoma, a malignant, aggressive, bone cancer that chemo alone cannot cure. Many years ago they would have amputated Joel's leg but with research and trials, they now do limb saving surgery.
Joel is the second in a family of four. We live in Maryborough, Qld, Australia, 3 hours north of Brisbane where Joel receives his treatment and has his surgeries.
January 2015: Joel was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma by his 16th birthday. A cancerous tumour was found in his left knee. Joel spent a year having chemotherapy and limb saving surgery to remove his tumour and have a full knee replacement, part upper femur and part lower tibia replaced with a metal rod prosthesis. He was too sick to do Year 11.
2016: Joel spent a year recovering and doing Year 11. His peers finished Year 12.
2017: Joel did Year 12 and was looking forward to starting employment when he was diagnosed with an Osteosarcoma relapse in his lung in November 2017.
January 2018: Joel had surgery to remove the top of his lung with the tumour. He spent a short time recovering and 3 months at work.
July 2018: Joel had surgery to replace his metal rod prosthesis in his leg as it had worn the bone of his femur where it joined. He was just starting a few hours back at work when he was diagnosed in November 2018 with a second Osteosarcoma relapse in the same lung.
January 2019: Joel had chemotherapy for a couple months to reduce the size of the cancer in his lung. This time it is closer to vital parts like an artery to the heart and back spine.
In April 2019, Joel started a new trial drug which is supposed to change his cancer to benign. He will be on this for 12 months before they look at doing surgery to take maybe all his lung and hopefully the benign cancer.
Joel turned 20 in January. He has not been able to return to work.
He's had it tough but is learning long suffering and endurance. He is not physically able as he would like to be but is learning to accept the challenges and overcome.
If you would like to help Joel he does lack financial support. He has the weekly and monthly expenses of the typical 20 year old: Phone bill, car and travel expenses and health and medical expenses. Your donation will go into an account set up for his expenses . Any amount even small will be a great support to Joel and received with many, many thanks and appreciation.
Hello, I'm Joanna Archer, Joel's mum, the organizer of this campaign. I would like to share with you Joel's story of Osteosarcoma, a malignant, aggressive, bone cancer that chemo alone cannot cure. Many years ago they would have amputated Joel's leg but with research and trials, they now do limb saving surgery.
Joel is the second in a family of four. We live in Maryborough, Qld, Australia, 3 hours north of Brisbane where Joel receives his treatment and has his surgeries.
January 2015: Joel was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma by his 16th birthday. A cancerous tumour was found in his left knee. Joel spent a year having chemotherapy and limb saving surgery to remove his tumour and have a full knee replacement, part upper femur and part lower tibia replaced with a metal rod prosthesis. He was too sick to do Year 11.
2016: Joel spent a year recovering and doing Year 11. His peers finished Year 12.
2017: Joel did Year 12 and was looking forward to starting employment when he was diagnosed with an Osteosarcoma relapse in his lung in November 2017.
January 2018: Joel had surgery to remove the top of his lung with the tumour. He spent a short time recovering and 3 months at work.
July 2018: Joel had surgery to replace his metal rod prosthesis in his leg as it had worn the bone of his femur where it joined. He was just starting a few hours back at work when he was diagnosed in November 2018 with a second Osteosarcoma relapse in the same lung.
January 2019: Joel had chemotherapy for a couple months to reduce the size of the cancer in his lung. This time it is closer to vital parts like an artery to the heart and back spine.
In April 2019, Joel started a new trial drug which is supposed to change his cancer to benign. He will be on this for 12 months before they look at doing surgery to take maybe all his lung and hopefully the benign cancer.
Joel turned 20 in January. He has not been able to return to work.
He's had it tough but is learning long suffering and endurance. He is not physically able as he would like to be but is learning to accept the challenges and overcome.
If you would like to help Joel he does lack financial support. He has the weekly and monthly expenses of the typical 20 year old: Phone bill, car and travel expenses and health and medical expenses. Your donation will go into an account set up for his expenses . Any amount even small will be a great support to Joel and received with many, many thanks and appreciation.
Organizer
Joanna Archer
Organizer
Mount Urah QLD
