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PLEASE HELP DAVE BEAT CANCER – AGAIN!

  • DAVE IS COMING HOME

      22 January 2024

    David is returning at the end of the month so nervous excitement is mounting as we count down. Woohoo! He's looking forward to warmth and family, and a steak on a bbq. David is leukaemia free so there's lots to celebrate but it will be a few months of rebuilding before he can be back on the squash court and we'll still be trying to fundraise to pay for treatment and ICU. Thankyou so much for your support, sharing the page, thoughts and prayers. Enjoy your own warmth, friends, family and food of choice on the bbq. ☺️. In gratitude. Lucy

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  • TEST RESULTS ARE IN

      6 January 2024
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    Results are in. David is officially MRD-. That means leukaemia free. So lift a glass to celebrate David's fight, Max Topp and the medical team and Monika and George. It's been a tough road to a great result. He's now rebuilding his strength to fly back home at the end of the month. Woohoo!

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  • Dave Welcomes in 2024

      2 January 2024

    David celebrated the first day of 2024 by being discharged from hospital. It was an expected 7 day stay that turned into 27 days. The cost will be huge BUT as David said "I'm alive... so that's good. "

    Indeed it is. A lightweight Christmas down to 67kg David has started to build weight and strength. Back with the amazing Monika and George, daily stairwalking and excellent cooking will help him on his way. Such a relief to close the door on 2023 and start 2024 with recovery and rebuilding. Happy New Year to you all. Please reshare the Givealittle page if possible and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2024.

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  • Nearly there....!

      30 December 2023
    Posted by: David Cotton
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    It has been fifteen days since I was wheeled out of ICU pretty much helpless. Since then I have had to learn to eat and walk again, a tough journey back.

    So on New Year's Day I will be discharged to start enjoying NON Hospital food, a quiet room to sleep in an nicer views 👍 🤓

    Thankyou for your amazing support & Seasons Greetings to you all.

    Dave

    PS. Sorry about the hair....got slammed along with me

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  • CHRISTMAS UPDATE

      24 December 2023

    David is on the road to recovery but at 69 kg and post-everything it will take a while. He's setting himself targets to build his strength up enough for discharge from hospital but will spend Christmas Day on the ward. Thanks to those who saw and shared his story from Radio NZ and GiveALittle. Have a safe and happy Christmas. From David and Lucy.

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  • DAVE IS OUT OF ICU

      20 December 2023

    David is now out of ICU thank goodness - he had a central line into his neck during his ICU stay and has just had that removed. Small gains and freedoms which are testament to steps on his road to recovery.

    We are lucky that Monika and George are going to visit him to relieve the sameness of the days as he climbs out of pain and back to strength. Initially hopeful that he would be home quickly, medical advice suggests he will need at least a month to rebuild his strength before travelling home.

    On a positive note, look out for an interview on Radio New Zealand that was done with him prior to the therapy starting in Germany (also airing this morning on National radio between 7am and 9am). There will also be an article appearing on their website including the Givealittle link which I will post when available. With his recent ICU emergency and surgery, his costs have soared and we are trying to reassure him that all will be well.

    Please as always, keep him in your thoughts and prayers and share the Givealittle link to spread the word. It would be nice for him to return to New Zealand with much of the financial burden reduced.

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  • UPDATE FROM LUCY

      14 December 2023
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    So, it's been a bit of a nightmare since David went into ICU to manage a big immune reaction to the CarT cell therapy last week. The doctors went from confident that David was responding well to concerned as they discovered he had septicaemia from an infected gall bladder. Usually a straightforward surgery, with David's depressed immunity and coagulation we received the gut wrenching news that it was a 50-50 chance David would make it through.

    An hour later, 1am Wednesday night in Germany, the surgical team went into action and after a 4 hour surgery, the team and David's willpower pulled him through.

    They kept him sedated and on ventilation for the next 4 days and on Sunday I was finally able to talk to him. Exhausted, he managed a couple of sentences.

    Today, Wednesday, I have finally been able to have a conversation with him . Still in ICU, he's beginning a big climb to recovery.

    At this point I would like to thank many for their thoughts and prayers, my community for their support day to day as well as sharing the Givealittle page. It's even more important to share the fundraising page as this unexpected saga will add to the cost. It is a story of faith, willpower, love and medical genius that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Thankyou for your support and interest.

    https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/please-help-dave-beat-cancer-again

    PS. I thought the photo of a certificate David earned for beating a player many points above his grade was apt. Giant Killer. Let it be so.

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  • PLEASE SHARE THIS GIVEALITTLE PAGE TO SPREAD THE WORD

      9 December 2023

    Dave is in ICU and has been for a few days now, but he is stable thanks to the miraculous team in Germany. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

    His ability to finance this life saving treatment and stay in Germany is preying on his mind and he really needs to focus on kicking the cancer and letting his body recover rather than funding. Your support is so very much appreciated and every donation has and is going straight to him. Please share this Givealittle page on your social media so we can get the word out far and wide - especially in the lead up to Christmas when Kiwis like to think of others who need a helping hand. Thanks as always 😊

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  • UPDATE FROM WURZBURG

      7 December 2023

    Last night NZ time David was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit of Wurzburg University Hospital. His strong immune reaction to the therapy led to a cytokine reaction as fluid leaves his cells. His response to the treatment has been good and we hope he's not there too long. David is stressed, alone and worried about the added cost. This is also extremely distressing for his sons and family, obviously. Please keep him and them in your thoughts and prayers and share the Givealittle page as widely as you can. David takes strength from positive messages and will read on FB when he can. Everything helps. Thankyou.

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  • CAR-T CELL INFUSION UPDATE FROM LUCY

      3 December 2023

    David had the CarT cell infusion at about 1am Saturday morning NZ time. He started the day with a bone marrow biopsy which will get them an accurate base line measurement of current leukaemia levels. To do that they basically punch a hole through to the bone marrow in those curved bones at the bottom of your spine. #27 for David but I don't think it's one of those things you get used to.

    Anyway, the CarT cell infusion was a major milestone that took less than 15 minutes. Amazing. Millions of modified T-cells all geared up to hunt down leukaemia. So, that's what the fundraising is for. He then went home for the weekend as it takes the cells a couple of days to get going. After that, on Monday, it's in to hospital for observation and managing fevers and neurotoxicity. If they are concerned he returns to hospital earlier.

    However, something seems to be happening because he's spent all Saturday in bed, wiped out with low fevers. The marvellous Monika and George are looking after him and his doctors are in touch so I guess it's just a question of getting through. Thanks for your support.

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  • SNOW IN WURZBURG AND A WEEK OF CHEMO

      1 December 2023
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    There's snow on the rooftops in Wurzburg... "Real feel' -5° which looks pretty for Christmas but has been a bit rough for David as he's gone through chemotherapy this week. He's feeling a bit rubbish but sleeping a lot in between hospital visits. He's been getting the chemo as an outpatient to keep costs down but will stay in hospital once the CarT cells are infused. This should happen on Friday. We are now getting into unknown territory in terms of reaction but the medical team are amazing and have lots of experience with this treatment. Funding remains a pressure so please share the Givealittle page as widely as you can and keep David in your thoughts and prayers. With thanks, Lucy.

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  • And so the business end of treament begins...

      25 November 2023

    Tommorrow I will begin the chemotherapy conditioning for 3 days to ready my immune system by reducing the exisiting white cell count to create space for the CAR T-cells to expand & prolierate increasing the chance of a deeper remission.

    On Friday the infusion of Car T-cells will happpen, then the real action begins. Will be spending the following week in hospital under close observation for any immune related toxicity.

    The medical team here have many years of expeirence with managing the potential side effects of immune therapies, so feeling confident all will be good.

    Cheers

    Dave

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  • Update on my Car T-cells

      20 November 2023

    Hi

    Great news back from my local medical team here in Germany, the stem cell plasma collected from me on the 6th of November has successfully been harvested for the T-cells needed & these have received the CAR gene (chimeric antigen receptor) and are currently undergoing a quality control process before being returned back to Wurzburg.

    So all on track for reinfusion around the first week of December. In the days prior to reinfusion I will be receiving chemotherapy to set the right environment for the CAR T-cells in order to reduce the chance of Cytokine Release Syndrome. Tried that back in 2011 with the Blinotumamab, landed me in ICU for several days following heart failure, not keen on that again!

    Once again many thanks for such great support and the donations to help with the costs.

    Cheers

    Dave

    https://www.kitepharma.com/science-medicine/cell-therapy-technology

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  • A MESSAGE FROM DAVE

      13 November 2023
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    Hi to all you amazing supporters. I am once again humbled by the generosity of the community I have in New Zealand, Australia & here in Germany.

    My Champion travel hero Lucy, saw us here safely on what was a difficult journey for me, having only been out of Auckland hospital for 4 days following 10 days of fighting fevers and recovering from a crashed immune system. A huge ups to the team in Auckland haematology for their skill in getting me ready for international travel. As the days have passed since, I have slowly got stronger and am gaining a little more confidence in my own day to day self-care, especially with the help of fabulous meals here where I am staying in Wurzburg, thank you Moni & George.

    The medical team here have been very quick to start looking after me, monitoring my blood counts & providing GCSF (a bone marrow growth stimulant) to help grow healthy white cells and stay ahead of the leukemia until I have the Car-T cells returned to my immune system hopefully in late November early December 🙏

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  • LUCY'S ON HER WAY HOME TO NZ

      10 November 2023
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    Dave farewelled Lucy this week as she started her journey back to New Zealand and left him in the very capable hands of Dr Max Topp and his hosts and German family George and Monika.

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  • LEUKAPHERESIS

      10 November 2023
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    SOME NOTES FROM LUCY ON DAVE’S PROGRESS … This week has been a big week for Dave. Monday started with Leukapheresis and in his words … “today is probably the most important day of the rest of his life.” Leukapheresis means they take blood out (David's right arm), spin it to separate plasma, white blood cells etc, harvest the white blood cells for use in the T-cell therapy process and put the rest back in through the left arm. The process takes about 4 hours... They then transport the cells to the lab to modify them for CarT cell therapy. The Leukapheresis process went well.

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  • GERMANY UPDATE FROM LUCY (PART 1)

      3 November 2023

    Flight 17 hours to Qatar, good flight not too full, good food. Slept 5-6 hours. 1.5 hours transit in Qatar. Huge busy airport. Friendly folk but hard to navigate. Saved from queues and waiting with wheelchair service from Akld. Thank goodness because David's feet were pretty sore from chemo. Last leg to Frankfurt 6.5 hours. Good flight but full and we were pretty tired. Frankfurt airport. Busy place but very efficient. No wheelchair so we went slowly, last off the plane and slowly walking.

    David trying to manage meds through different time zones. If Auckland is city of cones then Frankfurt airport is land of smokers and white plastic barriers. Busy place to fight your way on to transfer buses to train station. David really enduring by then. I hauled cases and David hauled himself and we arrived safely in Wurzburg.

    In Wurzburg we were met by Monika and George Schmidt. George is a retired radiographer. They are old friends of Prof Max Topp, David's doctor and leading blood cancer expert. Monika and George have been giving accommodation to cancer patients in Wurzburg for a long time. Their extraordinary kindness and generosity means we have landed with them again and for David they're his German family.

    ... more to follow

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  • DAVE IS ON HIS WAY TO GERMANY

      31 October 2023
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    Dave and Lucy flew out today for Frankfurt in Germany and the start of Dave's treatment as soon as they arrive later this week. Thank goodness he's got Lucy right by his side to help him navigate airport checkins and transfers - the wheelchair certainly helped speed things up. His white blood count has tripled since Friday and he is much stronger and leaves with almost normal immunity and is feeling positive about the journey ahead.

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  • TREATMENT UPDATE

      26 October 2023

    David had been scheduled to fly out to Germany last weekend, however with chemo and cancer taking it’s toll, his low immunity and a fever landed him in Auckland Hospital. After a hard fought 12 day battle with high fevers and infection, David is starting to recover - although he is 7 kgs lighter. He's hoping to be discharged later this week and will make preparations to travel to Germany for lifesaving treatment, where there is a specialist team on standby. Thanks to the nurses and doctors at Auckland Hospital who have worked tirelessly to get him through. Thanks so much for the wishes and support privately and via Givealittle, they are very much appreciated. LUCY xx

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