Help Ian Fund His Clinical Trial in Texas
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A couple years ago I got a call from my best friend, Ian DeSousa, it was an emergency. The term best friend feels weak when describing our relationship. He’s my brother. I’ve known him for over twenty years now. When I got my NPR show State of the Re:Union, I hired Ian first, not because he knew radio, but because I could trust him, and entering into a new world I needed someone I could trust. That show launched my career in radio/podcasting and changed my life. We’ve been through everything together, and his phone call would mark another journey.
Ian was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Prostate Cancer and given three to five years to live. Typing that sentence is hard, because Ian’s battled cancer for two years now, and he hasn’t wanted to talk about it publicly, and I get it. Typing it out makes it feel real.
For two years now, he’s battled the cancer, looking for new treatments and hope. That hope has finally come. He’s one of a handful of people chosen for a phase one clinical trial with promising results. The trial began on May 18th at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
This trial will be extremely intensive—physically, logistically, and financially—and it will be ongoing over the course of three years. Ian will need to be hospitalized frequently for the first several months. He will need to fly back and forth from Jacksonville to Houston on a regular basis to receive infusions for the next three years.
Ian and his wife Kelly feel like this clinical trial is not a choice, but the best chance at a long life for Ian. The doctor told him he could live for many years and see his son graduate from high school. This is the first time that any doctor has been so hopeful about his prognosis!
The impacts on Ian and his family during this time are significant. While the drug company pays for his care, there will be a lot of expenses over the next three year - flights, housing, caretakers - coupled with a significant loss of income. I am asking for your financial support to help Ian and his family during this time. This is a giant leap of faith and this campaign will help support them on this journey.
Ian, Kelly, Estlin, Leia (Ian's sister), and Al
Throwback pic of Al and Ian
Ian, Estlin, and Kelly
Estlin and Ian
Ian was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Prostate Cancer and given three to five years to live. Typing that sentence is hard, because Ian’s battled cancer for two years now, and he hasn’t wanted to talk about it publicly, and I get it. Typing it out makes it feel real.
For two years now, he’s battled the cancer, looking for new treatments and hope. That hope has finally come. He’s one of a handful of people chosen for a phase one clinical trial with promising results. The trial began on May 18th at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
This trial will be extremely intensive—physically, logistically, and financially—and it will be ongoing over the course of three years. Ian will need to be hospitalized frequently for the first several months. He will need to fly back and forth from Jacksonville to Houston on a regular basis to receive infusions for the next three years.
Ian and his wife Kelly feel like this clinical trial is not a choice, but the best chance at a long life for Ian. The doctor told him he could live for many years and see his son graduate from high school. This is the first time that any doctor has been so hopeful about his prognosis!
The impacts on Ian and his family during this time are significant. While the drug company pays for his care, there will be a lot of expenses over the next three year - flights, housing, caretakers - coupled with a significant loss of income. I am asking for your financial support to help Ian and his family during this time. This is a giant leap of faith and this campaign will help support them on this journey.
Ian, Kelly, Estlin, Leia (Ian's sister), and AlThrowback pic of Al and IanIan, Estlin, and KellyEstlin and IanFundraising team (2)
Al Letson
Organizer
Hayward, CA
Ian DeSousa
Beneficiary
Brie Burge
Team member