Help Carl live: Join us in raising needed funds for brain cancer treatments for a husband, father, and friend

I write this with a mix of sadness and huge admiration…

Last September, Carl (known to many as Flash) was diagnosed with grade 4 brain cancer; he initially received surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, which kept his brain tumours at bay.

This September, Carl & his family received the devastating news his brain cancer had returned. Instead of creating new family memories, they are dealing with the unimaginable.

The aggressive nature of Carl’s type of brain cancer means the new tumours are expected to grow rapidly, and the doctors have advised they need to act immediately to extend Carl’s life.

This phase of Carl’s treatment has significant costs (initial estimates are $120,000). These costs, alongside the impact the treatment has on Carl’s ability to work add significant pressure on the family.

The treatment, an immunotherapy drug called Avastin combined with a chemotherapy called irinotecan, is not funded in NZ. Carl, his wife Jane and their three teenage children see no option but to self-fund the drugs.

Carl has received three-rounds of this unfunded treatment and the news is that it is working to keep the brain tumours stable (meaning they are no bigger but are still there).

Having the option to continue treatment is the purpose of this page, with the hope we can all play a small role in easing their financial pressures.