Raising funds to treat metastatic colorectal cancer

Hello there ❀ I’m asking for help to raise funds for the treatment of my stage IV colorectal cancer. I really thought after a year of radiation and chemo, surgery and more chemo that I would be having a bit of a break from treatments but, a recent CT scan shows the cancer has now spread to my liver and possibly lungs. The not so great news is that the treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer includes drugs that are not currently funded here in New Zealand. The good news though is that I feel quite positive and have an amazing support crew of family and friends – and a strong belief and faith in God.

My proposed new treatment plan includes a chemotherapy drug FOLFIRI which is publicly funded and cetuximab, which is not funded. The cost for 12 cycles (approximately six months) of cetuximab is high - $56,992 NZD. Thankfully, the cost of drug is capped at $20,000, but I still need to pay to have it administered intravenously at $2400 per treatment, and for ongoing consultation fees ($225).

There is no guarantee this treatment is going to cure my cancer, but there is hope it will stop or slow the cancer and maybe shrink it to a stage that I can have surgery to remove any tumours. At the very least my treatment will give me some more time – and I desperately want to be around for my kids for as long as I can, and to continue to be with my wonderful husband, Fetu. These are the people that make me determined to beat the odds and seek the best medical care I can get.

Fetu and I both work full-time and as the main income earner for our family I have needed to work through most of my treatments and will keep working for as long as I possibly can, but we still won’t have the means to meet my medical expenses, and I need to ask for help.

As my medical situation changes, a different treatment could be suggested by my oncologist or other health specialists. I might therefore use raised funds to pay not only for cetuximab, but also for other medical expenses, to seek treatment overseas (e.g. UK and US) and to help meet my family’s expenses during this time. That is why I have opted to have an ‘open goal’ for this Givealittle page.

Through the power of people acting together, a little becomes a lot. Any donation, small or large, will be helpful and I would be hugely grateful. If a small regular payment for several months is more manageable, the Givealittle Plan makes it possible to make regular donations by setting up automatic payments.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my situation, and God bless you.