Jason Anglin's Health Crisis & Passing

*UPDATE: We have closed the GoFundMe donations. If anyone still wishes to donate please contact a family member.

We thank you all very much from the bottoms of our hearts for your love and support during this time.*

Dear Friends and Family,

In mid-October we received some sad news from our older brother, Jason Anglin; his doctors have discovered that he has cancer, again. It breaks our hearts to witness our eldest brother’s continuous battles to overcome these health issues.

After graduating high school, Jason enlisted in the US Navy where he served our country for 8 years of active duty and then joined the reserves for two more years. His time in the reserves was cut short as, unfortunately, his health issues started to arrive. In 2002, he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and after multiple rounds of chemo and radiation he was able to overcome it. Eight years after that he needed to have a pacemaker inserted near his heart to help regulate his heartbeat. In 2015, doctors characterized his heart as only having one working half which led to the LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) surgery. The doctors said an LVAD was his best last hope to hold out until a potential heart transplant was possible. Then in 2018, Jason luckily, miraculously received a heart transplant - which still blows my mind. You’d hope that someone who’s been through so much could receive a break but unfortunately, he has a new battle to face with lung cancer.

This time the doctors found cancer in one of his lungs. His doctors ruled out both chemotherapy and radiation due to the previous treatments he endured. Surgery was also discussed as a potential option but for that to happen he would need to have his ribs broken to access his lungs. Unfortunately, he has already had his ribs broken for the previous two surgeries; once to have an LVAD placed in an artery near his heart to help him survive end-stage heart failure. They were broken for the second time when he miraculously received a heart transplant. Thus, the chosen course of treatment is a type of radiation therapy known as Proton Therapy that he will need to have 5 days a week for six weeks.

We are so incredibly grateful for all of our friends and family that were able to donate to support Jason through his LVAD surgery 8 years ago. We are asking for support again in hopes that we can give Jason the adequate financial support he deserves through this process. Insurance, unfortunately, is refusing to cover any of his Proton Therapy treatments despite the fact that this is the doctor-recommended route. Insurance has stated that traditional radiation is “good enough,” even though his body has already been through chemotherapy, traditional radiation, two broken ribs, and a heart transplant.

The costs of Proton Therapy range from $30,000 up to $120,000. He has already taken a loan against his 401(k) in order for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle to begin his treatments. They will fight his case with insurance, though there are no guarantees. However, with all costs included, he will be looking at a minimum bill of $30,000 even if his insurance case is successful. Not to mention the day-to-day expenses Jason will need assistance with as he is unable to work during this time. His hope was to continue working three or four weeks into the treatment. But by the end of the first week, he found the effects too debilitating and had to stop working. He has expressed that his main concern at this time is rent and food, but as his family we’d love to support him as much as possible throughout treatment and his battle with this latest challenge.

We thank you all for considering supporting Jason. Both he and our family are extremely grateful for the support that has already been provided and we will keep you updated throughout this process.

With love,

The Anglins