Join Team Justin: Help Justin Van Epps and Family

On Monday, December 4, 2023, a sudden, intense headache sent my brother, Justin Van Epps, to the ER. Imaging revealed four cancerous tumors in his brain and one in his lung.

Justin is a 52-year-old husband, father of three, and self-employed management consultant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Importantly, he’s also an optimist and a fighter.

Back in 2017, Justin also got an unpleasant surprise at the ER, when a suspected kidney stone turned out to be kidney cancer. Doctors removed the diseased kidney, and Justin remained cancer free for the next five years. However, in 2020, Justin and family faced another crisis when Justin, a lifelong soccer player, suffered a heart attack during a game with the local men’s league. He had to be resuscitated at the field before being rushed to the hospital. A medically induced coma and heart surgery followed, but Justin fought his way back to recovery yet again. He even rejoined his soccer team and played in a game just days before his current health challenge made itself known.

On December 7, doctors at Portsmouth Regional Hospital removed Justin’s largest brain tumor, located in the cerebellum. Pressure and bleeding from the tumor affected his speech and coordination, but the procedure provided immediate improvement. Less than 24 hours after surgery, Jus hit the first recovery benchmark: walking independently from the bed to the chair. When the doctor commented on the strength of his legs, Justin said, “That’s because I play soccer with 30- and 40-year-olds!”

Although Justin’s progress in encouraging, it's a long road ahead. He’ll spend up to three weeks in a rehab facility receiving speech, occupational and physical therapy. Radiation for the smaller tumors will follow, along with other cancer therapies to be determined.

Given Justin’s relative youth and fitness, his strong, resilient spirit, recent advances in medicine, and the love and support surrounding him, we have hope for continued healing and recovery.

We’ve created this GoFundMe at the request of friends and family who are eager to help in a tangible way. Your contribution will supplement the family's indefinite loss of income and go toward a high insurance deductible and other medical costs. Most importantly, your support allows Justin, his wife Hope, and children Liam, Caleb and Sophia to

better focus on his continued care and treatment, and to enjoy more quality time together. Offerings of any kind, whether a donation, a meal, words of encouragement, or a prayer, will be welcomed with gratitude and love. From our family to yours, thank you!