Jake McLeod quality of life fund

Hello everyone, both new and those who have supported his ability to live a quality life. Jake has been living with aggressive fibromatosis since he was 14 years old. At 25, he's been fighting this disease for almost half his life. His current tumor burst through his leg on December 1st, so it is completely open to the air - he hemorrhaged, passed out, and needed to go to the hospital via ambulance when it burst. After treatment on the first tumors, he can't get any more radiation in his lifetime, and this tumor is dangerous to remove, so his only option is to have a graft to cover the tumor.

Jake has been working full-time throughout, but he won't be able to work for a minimum of six months after he recovers from his skin grafts. Starting on March 1st, he’s going to drop down to part-time, both because he can’t stand for 8 hours a day, but also because he has finally managed to get on disability, and he won’t be able to work full time and still receive his benefits (his benefits are a whopping $1500). Jake has been born into a system that will let him die if we don't keep fighting for him; the government has denied all of Jake's crisis grants, so he's already struggling. Our family is working to support Jake, and we are all pitching in where we can; however, he's going to need more than what we're currently able to give him. Not all cancer medications in Canada are covered, even on disability, so this financial burden is affecting not just Jake, but our family as well.

He's only the fifth child in BC to have had aggressive fibromatosis, and he's turned himself into a guinea pig for the next child who ends up with this cancer so that maybe someone will have a better experience than he has. He's the only kid our cancer agency here in Prince George has ever taken as a patient and we had to fight to get his care here. He’s had types of chemo, and 60 radiation treatments.

Since this is a slow terminal illness, Jake wants to live a life. He doesn’t want to be his illness. This extra bit of financial support will allow him that freedom.

"It's never been what he's going through, it's what he's doing with it."