How comfortable can we make cancer?

Hi my name is Beyrick De Vries,

I have just found out that my father has a malignant tumor in his head. We are holding our thumbs, that it has been caught in time to operate before it spreads...but this story/fundraiser is not about or for me.

Whilst crying my eyes out and feeling helpless as you do when a loved one has cancer enter their lives, I saw a post of a close friend, Jared (The best guy ever - always positive and NEVER complains - a soldier like his mom) from the South Coast of Durban posting about his mom, Maria (A selfless Queen, Legend and Warrior - always pushing through and putting others first) who I know has been in the fight of her life for a few years now. I decided to turn the helplessness I was feeling about my dad's situation, into helpfulness to the best of my ability.

Maria has been given a year to live and their current living situation and lack of funds is not the way I would like to see my family or anyone’s family be in for the time remaining, (still hopeful for a change of course).

Cancer not only had an impact on Maria's health but their finances were also diminished. Maria and Jared (his mom's primary caregiver) are currently sharing a room, and to keep meeting their monthly bills, (and with the current state of employment in South Africa) Jared has no option but to go abroad in search of employment so he can pay the monthly bills, which means, he will have to leave his mom, and they will miss out on spending the precious and little time they have left together.

Imagine having to leave your mom to be alone when she needs you most, when you know time is so limited, when you don't know if you will get to ever see her again! All because of cancer and money!!

F@#K that! And F@#k Cancer!

And that is where we come in, we have the opportunity to be a part of changing this situation, and give this family the most amazing gift, of being able to spend the time they have left, making memories, cherishing their moments and just being there for and with each other comfortably, without the distraction of stress and been torn apart, because of limited funds.

Surfing professionally and surfing as a whole has awarded me a massive worldwide network of beautiful ocean lovers that I get to call my brothers and sisters and I called upon them far and wide explaining not just my father's situation but my friend Jared’s situation. Although I am fortunate enough not to need the funds for Dad, Jared and his mama are not in the same boat...

I am calling my fellow surf community to get on board by bidding on the many surfers' signed boards, or contributing to the Go Fund Me,that is set up for my brother Jared.

To my brother Jared,

My only goal in this situation, with the help of our worldwide surf framily/community is to bring absolute and maximum comfort to your family that hasn't felt the least comfortable in a very long time.

You've taught me to look at life from a different perspective. No matter what type of challenge life has given you, you always have a smile on your face and a positive vibe.

Thank you for always bringing light into every situation, now it's our turn to step up and do the same for you and your family.

To all of you, who can make a difference,

Let's bring maximum comfort to this family, who has been dealt the worst cards in life...it's now available for you to be the aces in their deck. Great people they are, good people we can be.

Just like his nickname "Foreskin", cancer can't circumcise his vibe. Cut the cancer, not the comfort.

Much love,

Beyrick

Jared's Story - From Jared

Mom and I, as you know, have been together my whole childhood. Mom has, somewhat sadly, always been single and doing all she can for my brother and I.

Mom was diagnosed back in May 2018, after which she underwent chemo treatment until September. My grandfather fell ill and my mom took it upon herself to join him overseas to look after him, when he died and she brought my grandmother back to South Africa with her, in February 2019.

She went on to enroll as a caregiver in the UK, staying in SA and completing her courses while having to also look after, and supporting my grandmother and myself. My Grandmother went in for a kidney stone surgery that was not meant to be complicated, but ended up being brutal - my grandmother became delusional, stop eating and after a time fell into a coma and died. The death of both my grandparents in a year, with my mom being one of two children to step up and take care of my grandparents, took a toll on her. She pushed on to complete her caregiving courses after my grandmother passed away and went on to work a full year as a caregiver, with no break and loads of discomfort from what we came to learn was the developed deposits of cancer in her stomach area. She was rediagnosed in September 2021 and despite having work lined up as a caregiver and feeling hopeful again, she went on to try different forms of chemo. The chemo treatments have not responded, or at least the reward is not worth the weekly needle prodding, and she is also inoperable, so now we are essentially in the palliative care stage and she has been given a year more or less.