Help Damian Access Life-Changing Cancer Treatment in Turkey

Hi, I’m Anna — a wife, mother, and mental health coach doing everything I can to support my beautiful little family through the toughest time of our lives.

My husband Damian has been living with a brain tumor — a grade 3 oligodendroglioma — for over 13 years. But in recent months, things have changed. His symptoms have worsened, he’s no longer able to work, and we’ve been left searching for options beyond what conventional treatments can offer.

That’s when we found Chemothermia, an integrative cancer clinic in Istanbul, Turkey, offering metabolically supported chemotherapy — a cutting-edge, research-backed treatment approach designed to improve outcomes while minimising side effects.

This could change everything for Damian. It’s a chance to slow the progression of his tumour, improve his quality of life, and give us more time together as a family.

But getting there — and covering the cost of treatment — is something we simply can’t do alone.

Why This Treatment Matters

Traditional chemotherapy often takes a heavy toll on the body. But metabolic oncology is changing the game. This emerging approach targets the unique way cancer cells produce energy, using therapies like ketogenic diets, glucose restriction, glutamine targeting, and oxidative stress protocols to weaken tumour cells and enhance the impact of chemotherapy.

Damian’s tumour type is known to be metabolically active — and this treatment could help slow its progression while improving quality of life.

Here’s what the research says:

Dr. Thomas Seyfried’s “Press-Pulse” Strategy outlines how a combination of metabolic stress (like a ketogenic diet) and targeted treatments can create an environment that cancer cells struggle to survive in — all while protecting healthy cells (Seyfried et al., 2017).

In a case study on IDH1-mutant glioblastoma (a tumour type similar to Damian’s), ketogenic metabolic therapy without chemo or radiation resulted in long-term disease management — over 80 months of stable health (Zhou et al., 2021).

Studies from Boston College show that combining glutamine inhibition with ketogenic therapy significantly delays tumour growth in the brain — a hopeful direction for brain tumour treatment (BC.edu).

We believe this is the most promising, personalised path forward for Damian.

Why We’re Asking for Help

As Damian’s condition has progressed, I’ve become the sole provider for our family — caring for our baby, running my business (Anna the Anxiety Coach), and doing my best to stay strong while watching the person I love fight a life-threatening condition.

We’re raising $70,000 to cover:

How You Can Help

Every donation — no matter the size — brings us one step closer to accessing this life-changing treatment. If you’re not in a position to give, sharing this page with your network means the world to us.

We know this is a big ask, but it comes from a place of deep love, hope, and an unwavering belief that Damian deserves every chance at healing.

Thank you for reading our story, for supporting us in any way you can, and for holding us in your hearts during this time.

With gratitude,

Anna, Damian, and Scout