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SUPPORT JASON’S BATTLE WITH BLOOD CANCER

  • Post Shanghai update

      21 October 2025

    Jason’s cancer numbers are continuing to fall so the CAR T cells are continuing to do their job, hopefully for many years to come.

    To wrap up our fundraising campaign, we're excited to highlight the website for Jason's Light+Shade exhibition: www.oxenhamphoto.com. With 112 images from 32 top New Zealand photojournalists, prints are available for purchase until the end of November, making for thoughtful birthday and Christmas presents.

    Thank you for all the support as we couldn’t be in this position without each and every one of you.

    Thanks Kris

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    • 22/10/2025 by Douglas

      Kia kaha Jason - wonderful to hear how your CAR T cells are rocking and rolling - opening up a bright and ever brighter future for you and your whanau,

      Blessings, Douglas and Danae

    • 22/10/2025 by Ann

      Heart felt gratitude for a God who hears.

      Your USA friends are very excited for such positive news.

  • Extending date

      16 September 2025

    Extending date for after the online auction…details to come soon

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  • Light & Shade fundraising exhibition

      17 August 2025
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    Hi everyone,

    An update to let you know that the previously mentioned photo exhibition is almost here. Thank you again for all your support and kindness.

    Cheers

    Kris

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  • Third time was the charm

      5 August 2025
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    Hi everyone,

    I wanted to provide an update and let you know we are excited to be finally home after 2.5 months in China. I’m pleased to say Jason had a good response to the third round of CAR T cells of a different dual target and different cell structure to the prior two infusions. His response classification is still to be assessed due to the complication of his EMD (cancer cells outside of the bone marrow) delaying the final evaluation. We are hoping for stringent complete response (SCR is the best option) but at minimum complete response. We will update you all in the coming weeks when the final evaluation of the disease is classed.

    We couldn’t have done this without each and every persons help and thank you is not strong enough to express our gratitude.

    The upcoming fundraising exhibition is planned for 5-14 September. There is also a music concert being held on 30th August as well as the organisation of online auction so please all stay tuned.

    Thank you, much love and appreciation.

    Kris

    x

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  • Goal change

      13 July 2025

    A bit better idea of where we will likely sit now at the end of this process. 3 infusions (instead of 1) but via public hospital.

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  • Hopeful third time is the charm…

      6 July 2025
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    Hi everyone

    Just an update on where we are at right now. The first two infusions of CAR T product didn’t take effect like they wanted and amplify in Jason’s cells. For this reason we are in the process of preparing for a third infusion with a different CAR T product that has a different structure to the first one. The hope is this one will take and amplify. Unfortunately this meant we couldn’t return home today as planned and had to put two of our girls on a flight home without us. A bit heartbreaking to say goodbye to them after a weeks break away from the hospital spending much needed time to recharge for the next push through. We really miss home but know we are where we need to be right now.

    Thank you for all following so closely and for all the love and support we have had so far.

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    • 08/07/2025 by Ann

      Continued prayers for your next infusion & for your wonderful wife and girls to stay strong. 🙏

  • A bit of a setback

      24 June 2025

    Hi everyone.

    This is a bit of a hard post to write. Post initial car T cell amplification after boost showed promising outcome the cells then dropped off again. So on Monday they gave a bigger boost and yesterday he got a second infusion of his car T cells that came from Beijing.

    Apparently with some cases this happens and this is why they create enough cells for two doses and they have ways of making this go better and we have to have faith. We are now actually hoping for some fevers to address as this will be an indicator things are going better this time.

    Talk about a roller coaster….

      3 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

    • 25/06/2025 by Shirley

      Oh gosh guys that is a tough hand and so hard for you but we have all our fingers and toes crossed for version 2 T cells to take off.

    • 26/06/2025 by Ann

      Jason, this is a setback for sure but it sounds as if there are more option's on the table, we will be praying for success this time round. 🙏 Ann

    • 26/06/2025 by Douglas

      Dear Jase and Kris

      Kia kaha - a roller coaster journey and so scary. You have a wonderful medical support team with the very best knowledge for each step in managing this second car T cell infusion, to deliver the results you, and your medical team, and we want so dearly for you. We are praying and keeping the faith for each day of your courageous journey.

      Blessings, Danae (Mum) and Doug

  • Two weeks past T Day

      20 June 2025
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    Hi everyone. An update from all the way in Shanghai on day 15.

    Jason had his new engineered cells infused on Friday 6th June. For day 2 & 3 he had some decent fevers which they eventually got under control. They test the cells amplification regularly ever couple of days to observe when they start to multiply and form their army. Day 3 was still zero (not unusual) day 5 and 7 showed a tiny shift. For that reason they waited until day 11 to allow some more time and it had gone up but not as quick as they would like. For this reason they gave him some medication on day 12 to give them a little boost and then observe and decide if further boost required. I’m happy to say that after one boost yesterday’s test (day 14) showed they had done quite a turn upwards so no further boost needed. It’s all a waiting game so more and in here for 3 weeks instead of

    2 week minimum but at least it’s all moving more satisfactorily now. They should amplify very quickly now they’ve reached a better level. We are looking forward to hopefully being an outpatient end of next week, sleeping on normal beds and heading home 6th July. We have had excellent care with a team of amazing doctors and nurses who know their stuff.

    I will update again next week, thanks to everyone for the support, kind words and encouragement.

    Until next time….. Kris

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    • 22/06/2025 by Ann

      Hi Jason, glad to hear things are now finally moving in the right direction. You are in our prayers and believe God is doing a miraculous healing in you. May that bed be dreamy soft when you are in outpatient and you can cuddle your sweetie. Much love, Ann

    • 22/06/2025 by Gill Coleman

      Awesome news! Keep up the good and onwards and upwards 🙏👍🤗🫶 Gill

    • 22/06/2025 by Douglas

      Kia kaha Jason - you are definitely in the right place getting the best treatment and making great progress - our prayers are with you all the way.

      Love and blessings to you and Kris and family - Doug and Danae

    • 23/06/2025 by Grant

      It's a journey. Great that the care is so good. All the best from Estelle and I.

  • Count down to T Day

      5 June 2025
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    Hi everyone

    I just wanted to update and let you know where things are at. As you will know from prior posts things have happened very fast and we've had to shuffle a lot around and adapt pretty quickly. A 9 day stay in Shanghai for phase 1 changed overnight to a 5 week stay and including phase 2. If anyone had told me a month ago I would be staying in a hospital room on the Shanghai coast with Jase next to me in a bubble I would never have believed it!

    Yes, he is officially "bubble boy", he is now confined to this in our hospital room. Yesterday he finished the pre infusion chemo after the earlier bridging chemo and tomorrow his reengineered T-cells fly in from Beijing, nuked, and ready to battle those pesky myeloma cells. Exciting but scary too!

    We have pushed out the auction fundraiser until our return and stay tuned for the photo exhibition in late August. Anything we continue to raise will help the shuffling of funds and maxing out of credit cards we've had to do so quickly. The kindness and generosity of everyone is so much appreciated. Further updates to follow so stay tuned people....

    Jason wanted me to say "the Moops invaded Spain in the eighth century"

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    • 06/06/2025 by Douglas

      You definitely made the right decision to travel when you did. We're pleased to hear Jase's treatment is happening at speed .... and it is going faster than expected. The news that Jase is in a bubble and confined for 5 weeks means they are taking every precaution for a positive outcome. Kia kaha to you both on this shared journey. Blessings Mum, (Danae) and Doug xxx

  • Jason reporting from a Shanghai hospital bed.

      31 May 2025
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    Nei Hou, thanks to everyone for your continued support and messages. I have now been transferred to another hospital where the Car-T therapy will be performed in a few days. For now I am getting prepared with a bridging treatment which involves a short dose of chemo which is Daratumumab & Carfilzomib (both unfunded in NZ). This phase was originally unplanned but necessary as they found cancer cells have spread beyond the bone marrow. Another form of chemo will follow as a lead up to the Car-T infusion. The hospital staff here are amazing and making Kris and I as comfortable as possible. I am pictured with Professor Jian Hou who is over seeing my treatment.

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    • 03/06/2025 by Katherine

      Hey Jason and Kris - thinking of you guys often while the bridging treatment does its thing. Lib is keeping me in the loop and we are channeling our strongest healthiest vibes and sending them your way.

    • 03/06/2025 by Douglas

      Dear Jase and Kris

      Your trip to China is very timely and we are praying for a positive outcome for you, Jase.

      Amazing professional staff that you can trust is a must. God bless you both.

      Love - Danae (Mum) and Doug

    • 04/06/2025 by Grant

      Good luck brother, thinking of you.

  • Jason in Shanghai

      26 May 2025
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    I wanted to give a brief update to let you know Jason and I arrived in Shanghai on Saturday morning and on Sunday morning (as pictured) he has been in hospital getting many, many, many tests before they harvest his t cells later this week. We are hoping that after the results from all this testing we will get a plan of next steps for phase 2.

    Thanks again for all the love and support we have had, this journey would not have been possible without each and everyone of you.

      1 comment  |  Login to leave a comment

    • 27/05/2025 by Douglas

      Great news that everything is falling into place - Kia kaha Jason - Blessings from Doug and Danae

  • Shanghai - Phase 1

      20 May 2025

    I wanted to thank everyone for the awesome support so far. We are heading to Shanghai this Friday night to meet with the Doctor and hopefully (all going well) do the first part of the Car T therapy which is the T cell harvest. This involves testing to ensure the harvest of T cells will generate healthiest possible cells and assessing his condition to help decide the Car T cells to use for Phase 2 and will take around 7-10 days.

    The biggest part (Phase 2) will be around 1-2 months later when we have to return once the T cells have been genetically modified and multiplied (in the millions) ready for return back to Jason. This part will require a stay of around a month depending on complications. We wouldn't be able to do this first part without all the help everyone has provided on this page.

    Please stay tuned for upcoming online auction in mid June and the photo exhibition planned for August as well as the continued givealittle page.

    Also wanted to do a shout out to Nicholas Jones (Stuff journalist) for the week long series on Car T and the continued raising of the lack of funding in NZ for treatment once patients have exhausted the limited funded options here. This information is relevant to all blood cancer patients and shows the need for NZ to progress to be able to provide this for New Zealanders. Lets keep raising awareness on this as the Government budget is set to be released soon.

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  • Overwhelming support

      5 May 2025

    Hi everyone,

    I just wanted to say thank you so much everyone for all the donations, sharing of the post and the overwhelming support and love we have received. We will keep this page updated with any news on progress and timing to get Jason to China.

    Words alone can't express how much it means that everyone is rallying around to support this treatment for Jason so we can have him with us as long as possible.

    We will also put updates and links for any other fundraising events we will be holding in the near future so stay tuned.

    Thank you so much!!!

    Kris

    xxxx

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