Help Matty access medical treatment to fight cancer!

At age 28 our friend Matt was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Initially a small tumour was spotted by a technician, but they failed to alert anyone. It wasn't until a doctor saw the tumour protruding from his neck that Matty was rushed into surgery. Tragically, by this time his condition was critical.

He underwent a “full neck dissection” which resulted in extensive damage to his vocal chords and lymph nodes. But doctors failed to see more cancer during routine scans, and as a result he missed out on life-saving treatment. After being assured by his surgeons that he had time to wait for a third surgery, they have since admitted it's now too late.

New Zealand's health system has let Matty down, and he only has one option left - a RET inhibitor called “Pralsefinib”. However, this treatment is not funded and will cost him $6,500 per month!!

Matt is able to cover the first round, but needs at least two rounds to determine if it will be successful. If it is, he will need to continue the treatment indefinitely.

Our friend is struggling with the enormity of the situation he is facing and wants nothing more than to watch his loved ones thrive, to be an uncle to his nieces and nephews, and to continue making a positive impact on the world around him. But he needs help to make this happen.

Matty has already survived more than his fair share of heavy hits, and we'd really love to be able to take some of the weight out of this one by showing him he is not alone in this fight against cancer.