Connect families battling Cancer

My name is Jessica Whittaker and I am looking for help.

I lost my mom May 14, 2022 and I lost my dad Feb 3, 2023 and I lost my older sister June 3, 2012. All I have left of my nuclear family is my little brother Wesley Miller, 28, father of three. September 25th, 2023 Wesley was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma with tumors in his brain and spine, spots in his lungs and liver. Life expectancy of this late stage cancer is not great, but has greatly improved over the last few decades. A cancer that used to be 100% terminal, now has a 1 in 5 chance of surviving to the five year mark. My little brother will be 33 in five years, one year younger than me now.

I am here asking for help for two reasons. The first is because we live a 1000 miles apart from each other and we would humbly ask for help in paying for gas and travel expenses for him to come visit me, with his kids and stay for the weekend. We wont know if his treatments are effective for six months and in six months he is likely to get much weaker and be unable to travel. Currently he has availability to travel to me, but I can't really miss work. I am a teacher and I depend on my income to support my children.

The second reason I would ask for help is for medical expenses. One treatment that has shown overwhelmingly positive results is a DNA therapy where they turn off genes that allow the cancer to grow. Just being tested to see if this is an option is not covered by insurance, nor is the treatments. So with any money not used for traveling, we would use it to get him the best chance at survival. We should have better information on his outlook as time goes by.

Its not just about medical care and expenses, its about quality of life for the time he is here. My brother is a penny-pincher like me, if you have ever met our father you would know why! We both got it from him (and are both happy and proud of that trait) and we hate to be in a situation where we have to ask for help, but now is that time and please consider helping us out. This expense just isnt in the cards for us without your help. It would mean the world to us and our children to be able to make this memory happen.

Thank you for reading and please consider donating, every dollar helps.