Get Steve-O to Germany for Glioblastoma Treatment

In July 2022, Steve (Steve-O) Gleason started experiencing symptoms of severe headaches, confusion and nausea. He was taken to the hospital for a CT Scan - our family expected a minor stroke at worst, as Steve-O is otherwise very healthy. We were shocked to discover the symptoms were due to a cancerous grade 4 brain tumor, specifically a butterfly glioblastoma (GBM).

For the Gleason family, this felt like the most sickening form of déjà vu. Nine years ago, Steve-O's wife, Diane, was diagnosed with stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma that had spread throughout her entire body, including her brain. Diane began a cutting-edge stem cell transplant treatment at the Mayo Clinic, using her own stem cells as the donor. She has been in remission since!

While GBM is a more aggressive type of cancer than Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, we've found an innovative immunotherapy treatment that we hope will help Steve the way Diane's treatment helped her.

CeGaT, a research facility in Tübingen, Germany, provides a revolutionary treatment for GBM through genetic sequencing and vaccination. CeGat can create a custom vaccine from Steve-O's tumor sample to help his body attack the cancer cells. (How amazing is that?!) Our family has met with GBM survivors who have successfully undergone this treatment and can vouch for its effectiveness.

This treatment requires Steve-O to travel to Germany 11 times to receive the vaccine - there is currently no option to receive this treatment in the US.

As you might guess - this comes with a cost! Because it's a foreign research program, none of this is covered by insurance. We need roughly $100,000 for the treatment and another $75,000 for travel and lodging expenses for Steve-O and his travel companions.

Steve-O and Diane are two of the most generous people I know. They are parents to five wonderful children and are full-time caregivers to their youngest daughter Maddie, who was born with cerebral palsy. The world is truly brighter with Steve in it. His gifts for music and writing make the world a happier place for everyone who knows him.

All they've known in their lives is giving. This GoFundMe is an opportunity for the people who love them and feel inspired by their stories to give back.

Every donation from this GoFundMe will go directly to Steve-O receiving this potentially life-changing vaccine. Any additional funds will go toward saving for long-term care for Maddie, which has been Steve-O & Diane's top financial priority since she was born.

Our family is truly humbled and eternally grateful for your support. #LetsGoSteveO!