I need your help. I’ve been reluctant to post this on my regular Facebook page because my husband is such a private person, but we both agree that doing so will likely affect positive change, so I want to share our story and ask for your help. My 46 year old husband, Jimmy, is dying from a rare disease with no cure. Only 2,600 people a year will be diagnosed with Ocular (aka Uveal) Melanoma in the U.S. About 50% of those will experience metastasis and of those, pretty much 100% will die from the disease. The median survival prognosis is about 2 years from diagnosis of metastasis. Unfortunately, Jimmy’s cancer metastasized to his liver in June. We just found out this week that his case is much more aggressive than originally thought and that I will likely become a single mother in about a year. Drug companies dont want to focus on developing a drug to cure this orphan disease because with only 1,300 people a year affected, its just not a money maker for them. I get it, but that leaves those of us that are affected devastated. We travel from Tulsa to Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia once a month because its the best place in the world to receive treatment when you have this disease. It’s hard to describe what it’s like to be told that your husband is dying; it hasn’t really sunk in yet. What’s frustrating about this cancer is that even though we’re going to the world’s leading doctor for treatment, there is still no cure and no known cause; we have so many questions and so few answers. Jimmys doctors, Dr. Takami Sato & David Eschelman at Jefferson Hospital in Philly, are AMAZING. They have dedicated their lives to finding a cure for this disease, but theyre very limited in what they can do. The bottom line is that money = cure. Research funding is critical to finding effective treatment options for this disease and YOU can make a difference. An anonymous benefactor has agreed to match all donations up to $200,000 between now and the end of December. Please make a donation yourself and share this story and the video below with as many people as possible - friends, family, and business associates. If you are able to donate, whatever you can do will help, whether its $10, $100, or $1,000. Remember, your donation will be doubled. And if you cant afford to donate, thats ok; just keep praying for us. I sincerely appreciate your help. Tax deductible Donations can be made at advancement.jefferson.edu/supportsato For anyone interested in following Jimmy’s progress, I’ve created a Caring Bridge to help keep you up to date: caringbridge.org/visit/eyelovejimmy https://youtube/watch?v=DAfP_tFOqMM
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 03:04:02 +0000
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