Darik Pearson

My name is Darik Pearson. I am a 53-year-old father of two teenage boys and this November, I’ll celebrate 20 years of marriage to my beautiful wife, Michele. For nearly three decades, I’ve been a professional musician, managing, performing and fronting the cover band “Darik and the Funbags.” Years ago, I took a leap of faith, leaving a lucrative IT career to pursue my dream as an entertainer and musician. While I had high hopes of making it big, what mattered most was raising a family. And for the better part of 20 something years, I managed to do just that. Six years ago, my life changed dramatically when I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer that had already metastasized to my bones. The aggressive nature of the disease, combined with a late discovery, meant my odds of survival were slim. Statistically, only about 30% make it past five years, and even fewer in my cohort. My family and I now find ourselves in a familiar pattern of chasing adjunct and trial-based treatments, hoping for a breakthrough. The focus of this fundraiser is a moonshot: to pursue a treatment using my own dendritic immunity cells, like “immunicine” which is not FDA approved because of its individualized chemistry and must be paid out of pocket. While I continue to exhaust standard options, I am beginning the process of saving up for this treatment, hoping for a real shot at a cure. Funds will also help with everyday bills, living expenses, medical co-pays, and coinsurance, especially as I miss months of work at a time. My deepest desire is to witness both my sons graduate high school and keep their lives as normal as possible. It’s hard for them to see their parents stressed about bills or unable to afford the things they love. They witness my pain and my wife’s exhaustion, and I want to give them hope and stability. Just thinking about a moonshot treatment that could keep me around to see my kids graduate, get married, or even have kids of their own is a life worth fighting for. I’m finally ready to admit that I can’t do this without help. We are so grateful for the blessed life that has connected us and so many people together.