Help Fund Calvin’s Brain Cancer Vaccine

Hi, my name is Calvin Nap and I was diagnosed with a brain tumour and had conventional brain surgery on the 31st May.

On the 25th August, I was so excited to “ring” the bell at Velindre Cancer Hospital, which signaled my last treatment/session of radiation. It has been a grueling 6 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy treatments which has taken a toll on me physically and mentally. Despite my depleted physical condition, and my life being turned upside down, I will not be deterred from my goals of exploring all treatment options and especially bringing awareness to this cruel disease. Once I finish my chemotherapy treatment (6 months), I will have exhausted all treatment options the NHS has to offer.

The neurosurgeon removed as much of the tumour as possible without impairing me, I have had the maximum dose of radiation and am taking the most suitable chemotherapy drug available on the NHS. Even after all these treatments, a residual amount of cancer stem cells remain in my brain. Due to the type of brain cancer I have, there is a strong potential for the tumour to grow again and be possibly more resistive to conventional treatments. There are additional treatment options, but they are not available on the NHS.

My family, friends and I have done extensive research on treatment options, collaborated with my fantastic Oncologist and there is hope. The DCVax-L, an immunotherapy treatment is an encouraging option. It is a personalised vaccine made from cells from my tumour (which was frozen at the time of my surgery) and my blood cells. Once the vaccine is administered, my body will take over and destroy the cancer cells.

The cost of manufacturing the vaccine is £200,000, plus additional medical costs.

It is extremely important to me to bring awareness to the issue that immunotherapy is not readily available for cancer patients, who may have exhausted all treatment options the NHS has to offer. The fact that the DCVax-L and other immunotherapy treatments are not deemed cost effective by the NHS is a tragedy for all cancer and other patients. I strongly believe that costs should NOT be a deciding factor for treatments, but a quality of life for the patient and their families should BE.

Any donation you can give, no matter how small, will help to get me closer to the DCVax-L treatment I desperately need. My goal is to document my journey to a full recovery and to help and support others like me. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and for any kind of donation given.