Help Kiwi Dad Jason Beat Stage 4 Lung Cancer

Late April family and friends gathered for another pot luck dinner and get together out in West Auckland. After playing soccer in the backyard with the kids our bro Jason (44) needed to lay down and rest, short of breath and with a persistent cough. It was strange since he is always out fishing, diving, coaching football, refereeing community sport; an active dad. Not long after, Jason was admitted to hospital with what turned out to be a severe case of pneumonia that had somehow left over 1L of fluid on his heart restricting his hearts ability to contract and pump. After emergency surgery, the crisis was averted, relief, relief, relief.

It was two weeks later that the doctors told Jason the fluid from his lungs, that had spread to his heart and around his body was cancerous. We were told Jason our eldest brother, head of our whanau, father to four (17, 14, 11and 4) and devoted husband to Trish has a rare and aggressive form of lung cancer (Adenocarcinoma) in stage 4 that had a prognosis of 5 to 6 months if untreated.

Jason has such a rare form of Lung Cancer its treatment is not covered by Pharmac. Keytruda is the key treatment option not only to extend and improve Jason’s quality of life but to help beat this scourge completely. The costs of this treatment are in excess of NZ $80,000.

We continue to ask why such terrible things happen to the greatest of people. It aches to think that his young family might not get to enjoy having their father into their adult years and create memories they will cherish forever. But we can do something about it. Options exist, hope exists.

While it is so hard on all of us who know Jason, it is especially the case for his beautiful wife Trish:

"The cancer has caused acute complications that have delayed treatment. After recovering from pneumonia, he had a heart pericardial window operation to drain life threatening fluid build-up around his heart. A scan has shown the cancer has moved from his right lung to his heart pericardium, spine and hip.

I am remaining hopeful and strong for my family but the thought of coping with four kids on my own is worrying me. Jason is a family man, an active nature-loving person, house proud (my very own handy man), a fantastic father and loving partner and admired by his colleagues. The complications and chemotherapy treatment have caused Jason to stop working now and financially this is a huge loss of income. I work, care for the kids, the house and nurse Jason and I am getting by with the help and support of my two teenagers, family, our friends and neighbours who bring their love and caring support, food and help around the house and garden and caring for kids. The treatment we are seeking will help Jason to have more quality of life with his young family."

Jason is an awesome young kiwi dad, and is our pillar of strength, he is not giving up on his prognosis and neither are we. Please help us to support Jason and Trish to fight this, to create memories with his children and indefinitely extend the horizon.